Princess Mercury: Her Past and Her Promise
by Angelic Traveller
Summary: Story 1 of Sailor Moon P. A mysterious new enemy threatens Amy. But this is an enemy like none the Scouts have ever encountered before. Sailor Mercury must confront her past and a dark, terrible destiny...and who is Fargo and why is he so important?
1. She Watches

Disclaimer: I don't own Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, however I do own Merula/Sailor Universe, Mu and Fargo

Disclaimer: I don't own Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, however I do own Merula/Sailor Universe, Mu and Fargo. By the way this, the first instalment of the Sailor Moon P saga, is written by ME ALONE whereas the next couple are the creations of Angelic Moonlight!

Princess Mercury: Her Past and Her Promise.

Prologue - She Watches

Click.

The computer-keyboard lit up as a finger pressed the button on the hard-drive beneath the desk - the monitor that had sat dark and square up until now on the flat of the desk instantly illuminated the gloomy room with a dull green light.

A small box appeared on the screen as the heavily upgraded piece of software took mere seconds to boot up.

Two headings: Login name and Password.

The fingers danced around the keyboard and a word appeared in the name heading.

S. Universe

Five more buttons clicked and five asterisks appeared in the password heading - The Enter key came next and for the next few seconds the hard-drive whirred and clocked as it processed the information that had been entered into its fresh memory...and was then ready for use.

The DVD drive slid open and the hand slipped in a home-burnt CD-ROM, so new that its data-side was devoid of scratches or fingerprints - after an instant of processing a personal-data file appeared on the screen.

At the top there was the image of a teenage girl with blue hair - She was perhaps sixteen and wore a school uniform. She had the most beautiful face the person who had logged onto the terminal had ever seen. A female sigh of joy broke the silence in the dimly lit room as the user of the computer terminal gazed upon that lovely face for the first time in what felt like countless lifetimes.

Below in red letters was her personal information.

Name: Amy Anderson (Hmm, funny name...yet just as beautiful as her TRUE name.)

Sex: Female (Yeah, like she REALLY needed onscreen confirmation to work THAT out...)

Age: 14 years (Wow. It felt like YEARS and yet she was still as old as she'd been way back THEN...)

Scout Identity: Sailor Mercury (...)

The female eyes narrowed as they skipped past the details of Amy's life...she'd know this girl anywhere. Below she found the information that she actually NEEDED – Amy's address in Tokyo.

Perfect – she was now ready and armed to go. She could come out of her complacency and into her agenda...


	2. A New Enemy

Chapter One: A New Enemy

"Are you guys ready?"

"We're ready!" four other female voices responded confidently.

"Go!"

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!" the blonde Sailor Scout raised her hand as an intense golden light flared at her fingertip, just waiting for release.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" the brunette Scout's palm roared with gathering thunder.

"Mars Celestial Fire!" the dark haired Scout flipped out a piece of paper with the kanji printed on it.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" the blue haired Scout spread out her hands as blue energy crackled between her spread fingers.

The night-sky was lit up as the combined might of pure energy, lightning, fire and ice were unleashed as one.

The foul demon that had arrived from the Negaverse to inflict devastation upon the planet Earth only to have met with the might of the planet's guardians, who were the group of female warriors the Sailor Scouts, shielded its tortured eyes as the energies of the elements screamed toward it.

It howled in torment as it was held in place by Sailor Venus's long chain of small golden hearts while the combined power of the Scouts of Jupiter, Mars and Mercury shocked, charred and froze its armoured body all at the same time.

"It's weakened!" a small voice cried from the other side of the street in which the battle was raging. "Now, Sailor Moon!"

"You've got it Luna!" another blonde Scout, whose hair was in long pigtails that were held in place by a pair of overly plump pom- poms that stuck out on the top of her head quite noticeably, told the talking cat who was watching the fight from an alley.

The leader of the team of Sailor Scouts, Sailor Moon, drew out a small sceptre about a few metres tall and aimed it at the beast.

"Moon Sceptre Activation!" she cried out as she was surrounded by an aura of white.

Wings seemed to materialise about her and then were gone again.

The sceptre issued a beam of holy power that burrowed into the monster, reducing it to crystal dust.

Sailor Moon, breathing heavily lowered the sceptre and leaned on it.

Sailors Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Mercury eyed her teasingly.

"This really takes it out of ya," Sailor Moon moaned. "I thought you guys would never wear it down enough for me to hit it with the sceptre."

"That's rich, Serena! This would all have been over an hour ago if you hadn't let it knock the sceptre into the river." Mars retorted.

"She's right, y' know." Jupiter grouched as she wrung out her wet skirt - she had resented being elected to go after the sceptre.

Mercury just smiled softly as her fellow Scouts became embroiled in a debate about the finer points of tactical thinking in the field.

x x x x x

After transforming back from her Sailor Scout alter-ego, Sailor Mercury, Amy came out from behind the back of the shed and walked up to her back door.

Moving aside the loose brick near the door Amy retrieved the hidden key, which she went on to unlock the door with. After putting the key back she turned the handle.

The door held firm.

Amy furrowed her brow in puzzlement.

She'd locked the door just now?

It had been unlocked before she had arrived?

Slightly annoyed, Amy took out the key, unlocked the door and hid the key all over again.

She must have forgotten to lock it this morning.

Amy couldn't believe she'd been so careless.

That was the last time she walked to school with Serena...it really had to be.

In the kitchen at last Amy slipped out of her shoes and went on to the hallway and up the stairs.

The door was slightly ajar as she got there and she shoved it open and walked in.

As she was about to get changed Amy noticed that the red light on her phone indicated that she had a message.

Pressing the button she shut the door with her other hand.

And, now that escape was cut off, the trap was sprung.

The intruder moved quickly, dropping down from the doorframe upon which they had stood with uncanny balance since hearing Amy close the back door.

Amy's mind lurched as someone landed on her back and bore her to the floor.

Hands grabbed hers and held her down before she was able to do anything.

Amy thought frantically.

A demon? A being from the Negaverse?

Her wrists were held so tightly down that she could not go for her Transformation Pen that was in her pocket.

One of the hands released hers...that hand clamped over her face and in it her unknown assailant held a damp cloth.

The powerful aroma of chloroform stunned her and her eyes watered.

She should have transformed as soon as she was attacked...

Now her assailant had the upper hand and it was too late.

The intruder released Amy as her awareness of her situation, the room around her and HERSELF began to fade - the last thing Amy heard before darkness took her was a voice from the answering machine.

"Hey Amy, this is Serena. The girls and I were just wondering if you have time to drop by the..."

x x x x x

Sometime later Amy woke with a start.

She opened her eyes...and then regretted it.

The piercing white light flooding into the room was something her stinging eyes weren't ready for right now.

"Well, _that_ was a mistake." she moaned, shutting her eyes again.

"I quite agree." a pleasant female voice said.

Amy's eyes shot open again before she could catch herself and they started to water again.

"Ooh, subjecting your eyes to bright light after waking up from being drugged," her host laughed quietly. "I wouldn't recommend it."

"Who are you?" Amy muttered, holding her eyes shut. "Where am I?"

"I don't think I'll tell you know either of those things. But never mind. After all, you don't need to know."

"Then what do you want?"

"For now all I want is your company, Amy - or should I call you Sailor Mercury?"

Amy doubted the reality of her situation then.

"Wha...how do you...?" she couldn't find the words in her confusion. "Are you from the Negaverse?" she settled for in the end.

"Negaverse?" her hostess said the word like it was something new. "I can't say the name means anything to me so I'm afraid not. Look, Amy, I'm at a bit of a loose end here. There's nothing to be said until an associate of mine gets here. That'll be enough for now. We'll talk again soon."

Amy heard a door open and shut and then the turn of a key in a lock.

Her hostess was gone.

Amy finally opened her tender eyes.

Her head ached, sending spasms through her body, so she remained seated.

She was in an upstairs bedroom that was luxuriously arranged.

As she lay back weakly in the comfortable armchair, noticing almost casually that her wrists were held on the armrests by two pairs of steel handcuffs Amy thought about everything...and failed to make sense of ANY of it.

She knew that her captor was female and from her voice roundabout her own age.

But what reason did she have to do this if she wasn't from the Negaverse?

Amy realised she was going to have to bide her time before making any attempt to get out of here. She hadn't yet recovered from the effects of the chloroform so she'd never make the jump to Sailor Mercury without blacking out.

But when she was recovered...

x x x x x

Meanwhile, somewhere in the underbelly of Tokyo...

"Can you believe it?" the chisel-jawed, rough featured client of the open-all-day-nightclub (a contradiction in terms as the original AND current proprietors both acknowledged after having had the matter pointed out to them many, many times throughout their careers), The Tokyo Dead-Zone Vortex, commented.

He drew no great response from the rest of the clientele sitting at the smoky bar drowning their sorrows...and plotting those of others.

So instead he directed his raucous bellow over the heavy metal blaring on and on to the person in the seat next to him.

The other client didn't react any more than the other boozers had but the drinker who had spoken was not to be deterred.

"The crap they throw in these rags at the last minute. Have you seen this?"

"No."

The one sitting next to him spoke for the first time since he'd walked into the club.

"What is it?" he asked in tones, which made it crystal clear he couldn't have cared less.

"This crap." Chisel-jaw waved a battered newspaper in his face.

Now that he had turned around he saw who he had begun this unprovoked conversation with - he was a male who looked around fifteen years old. He wore a grey sleeveless shirt and faded blue jeans. He had red hair that seemed to pulse like blood in the garish light of the barroom and the most striking grey eyes as he gazed straight ahead, nursing his drink which was of a great deal more interest to him than this conversation.

The client wondered just how someone this young had been able to get past the bouncer.

Not that it was his business.

Rather than asking questions he handed the youth the gossip rag for his perusal.

The kid looked at the front page.

"Escaflowne not to be renewed for new series?" he asked, a touch of feeling finally entering his voice. "Wow...that IS bad."

"No, below that, buddy."

The youth looked at the article beneath...

'NORTHERN DISTRICT RAVAGED BY MYSTERY BEAST – Urban Legends the Sailor Scouts supposedly sighted once again.'

The brief report stated that several witnesses claimed to have seen a monster appear in a town square and begin a rampage of destruction - none had been around long enough to see what had become of the beast but the first person who had found the courage to return had said something about five teenage girls.

For the first time in a while a grin pricked up on his face – so, the Sailor Scouts were still around.

Good...

"Interesting," he stated, passing the rag back to the client and rising to leave. "Thank you for the loan of your paper, my good man."

As he got up from the bar the boy noticed a strikingly good-looking woman sitting at a table on her own. In the blink of an eye he had crossed over to her. "So, what's a good lookin' lady like you doing alone in a place like this?" he asked with a dashing grin. "What about you and me going out for a snack tonight?"

"What about you sliding across the floor?" growled a large, hulking, cue-ball of a man, who had come up behind him and heard what he had said.

The youth turned and looked him up and down carefully - from the build he'd say that the man was five times his size. From the attitude he'd say that he was the woman's boyfriend.

"I...don't think I'd like that very much." he said after careful thought.

"Then buzz off kid! You're irritating the lady!"

The youth took the hint and turned for the door - however as he went he swept the Barroom with a wide glance and grinned. _The Tokyo Dead-Zone Vortex!_ He thought with pleasure, _the bar where they don't ask for proof of age and neither do I!_

At the last second the man who had shown him the newspaper called after him. "Just a sec, sonny. What's your name anyway?"

The youth called over his shoulder as he strode out of Tokyo Dead-Zone.

"Fargo."

x x x x x

"Still no sign of Amy?"

"Nope," Rei shook her head. "Serena told me that she never came to school today."

Luna frowned; this was unusual.

Not the frown itself although this would have been understandable coming from the face of a cat but the fact that this particular cat was the one doing the frowning.

"This isn't like Amy at all," Luna said at last. "First she wasn't at home when Serena called to walk her to school and now you tell me she never even showed up there."

"You bet your life it isn't like her!" Rei put in. "She crammed for today's algebra test for a month just to miss it."

Luna grunted.

"Well Serena went to her house to fetch her. Amy can explain herself when she's here."

As if on cue the café door opened and Serena sauntered in.

Rei and Luna's eyes were on her.

Amy wasn't with her.

"She couldn't come?" Luna asked Serena as she took a seat opposite them.

"I didn't even get to see her," Serena surreptitiously grabbed Rei's untouched jam doughnut. "There was no answer when I rang the doorbell." she stuffed it into her mouth before Rei could reclaim it.

"Oh this is just getting ridiculous!" Luna's temper was at an all-time shortage. "Where can she have been the whole day?"

Serena shrugged. "Dunno, I haven't seen her. Come to that none of us have seen Amy since we all went off after fighting that monster last night."

"You think she could have been affected by the monster somehow?" Rei was concerned.

"She'd have told us if she had been," Luna snapped. "Amy has some reason for not showing herself all day believe-you-me. Well I won't be too gentle with her when she concedes to turn up."

"Oh, DARIEN..." sighed Serena as she tilted her head backward to gaze wistfully up at the ceiling, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's, the beginning of tears of longing glinting in her eyes. "I wish that you were here right now..."

"Isn't he coming back from his job tonight?" Rei asked in exasperation – Serena's boyfriend Darien Shields had had to leave town for a couple of months in order to earn money so that he could continue to pay for his college education and Serena had been pining for him ever since.

"Yes...but every second is as agonizing as an eternity until my true love returns!"

A slight beep caught their attention.

Serena glanced stealthily around the café and then pressed the button on the side of her wrist communicator.

She listened for a minute to the voice on the other end and turned back to Luna and Rei.

"That was Mina, you guys. She says Artemis has found another dimensional rift. He wants us there in case something slips through. We'll just have to cope without Sailor Mercury's help."

x x x x x

It was somewhat warily and VERY unwillingly that Amy walked through the door she had opened - she had no choice.

When she had awoken from her dreamless sleep she had found that her wrists were mysteriously free from the arms of her chair and investigation had revealed that the door of the luxurious and strangely WINDOWLESS room she had been placed in was unlocked.

However she had found little solace in this since her attempt to leave this place, which she'd realised upon leaving the room was in fact a High-Class Hotel much like one from a spy-adventure set in a foreign land, apart from the fact that it seemed strangely deserted, had turned out to be futile. As she'd tried to walk down the massive stairway that connected the balcony outside the corridor that her room was located in to the empty lobby Amy had found her way blocked by some kind of magical barrier that had glared with a sickly green glow as it had prevented her from escaping her 'prison'.

Refusing to let herself be overwhelmed by the panic rising up within her Amy had doubled back, thinking of entering another room, one with a WINDOW, and calling for help from the people in the streets below...only to find each of the doors that she'd desperately tried firmly locked.

All but the room that now loomed up before her - a book-lined office greeted her eyes as her hostess looked around from where she had been looking out of a wide window that encompassed most of the far wall as she had come in.

"Ah, Amy," she greeted as she turned to face the blue-haired girl. "I was only just thinking of you."

For the first time since this had all began Amy was able to take a look at her captor - she was a girl with purple hair cascading over her shoulders to her waist and who was currently dressed in a modest way, not unlike how Amy herself was wont to dress.

There was a strange sparkle in her brown eyes as she regarded her 'guest'.

"Were you now?" Amy's attempt to sound defiant collapsed - there was something unnerving about those eyes... "Stop staring at me like that!"

Her hostess shook her head apologetically.

"I'm sorry. It is impolite and I do apologise. But you should realise, Amy, that you are the most beautiful girl I've ever had the privilege to meet. Not that I mean anything by it but I could lose the time looking into your face."

Amy was completely thrown by this compliment - the strangeness of her day was complete.

"Feast your eyes," she retorted. "Since you'll need to make do with your memories for quite a while." her voice was flat for her words were empty and she knew it.

Her hostess smiled enigmatically.

"Well that's a maybe. Oh, but here I am going on when we haven't even been introduced. My name is Merula...not that there's much in a NAME. But tell me Amy...do you believe in destiny?"

Amy did not reply, wishing to have no part in this bizarre conversation. "I'll take that as a no. Well...it certainly believes in you."


	3. The Temple of Dark Moon

Chapter Two: The Temple of Dark Moon 

"Oh fire, I beseech from you news of Sailor Mercury - what do you see?" The kanji on the paper in Rei's hand flared red as she chanted.

Artemis and Luna watched as Rei began her divination.

The remaining three Sailor Scouts were scouring the city for Amy at that very moment.

Rei, however, had opted to find her through arcane means.

The two intellectual cats waited to see the outcome of Rei's divination.

The kanji flared as bright as flame as the spell reached its peak.

Then it happened. The parchment burst into fire.

Rei cried out and dropped the burning mass into a dish of water in front of her.

The incense burners flickered violently as the cats realised that Rei was breathing heavily.

"What happened?" Luna asked after a while.

"I took too long and the parchment expended itself." Rei panted.

"Well? What did you find out about Amy?"

"Sadly," said Rei. "Nothing. Something got in my way. Either Amy is very far away from here or...someone doesn't want us to find her."

Artemis shook his head slowly in disbelief.

Oh man...

x x x x x

"I'm leaving now," Amy's voice was flat. "You're not going to get away with this."

Merula did not answer her. The brown-eyed girl simply continued to gaze unnervingly at her across the table with that enigmatic smile on her face.

"Never come after me again," Amy went on, as if only to defy the passive silence. "I have friends and you'll regret this."

"Amy," Merula's voice contained something strange which struck Amy. "Don't try to rally against your destiny. It can't be done."

Amy's eyes narrowed.

She had no idea what her hostess meant but she did not care.

Amy spread her arms.

Her voice with its accent was as clear as polished ice.

"Mercury Star Power! Make Up!"

Amy had uttered these words many a time in the past.

After the destruction of the Moon Kingdom she had been sent to this planet along with her fellow Scouts and the Moon Princess.

For a while her true memories had been lost and she had lived as an ordinary girl.

It had only been while she had been caught in between a battle between Sailor Moon and a warrior from the Negaverse that had placed her jeopardy that Amy had once again become Sailor Mercury.

But now...

Something was wrong.

The power of Mercury that had begun to rise within her was retreating.

As she glanced at the Transformation Pen in her hand Amy gave a gasp as she saw that the blue light of Mercury in it was fading into nothing! She was losing her power.

Amy had failed to become Sailor Mercury.

She dropped her arms as Merula spoke.

"Come along, Amy. Do you really think I'd be sitting here casually chatting to you about the weather if you were free to power up?"

From her sleeve she drew a blue crystal rose. As she held it up the light caught it causing Amy to wince in shock.

"Recognize this?"

Amy felt strangely woozy as she looked into the sea-blue depths of the rose.

Yes...

There was a strange familiarity about the rose in Merula's hand.

Looking at it Amy was positive that it should mean something to her.

She just couldn't think what.

Then she felt IT.

The power.

Something was coming. The like of which she had never felt before.

A small ball of light danced in through the wall as if it were an illusion. Amy watched as the light stopped in mid-air.

It began to increase in size.

Soon it stood as tall as a pillar a feet taller than Amy and began to fade into colour and take shape.

A humanoid form was materialising in the room.

x x x x x

He cried out sharply.

Fargo had been draped, lounging against a wall, his head down minding his own business in the shade with his eyes narrowed.

Then he had felt a incredible presence.

A power he had never thought he would experience again.

All the hairs on his head...no, all the hairs on his very body had stood on end as the sensation spread through his body.

The power of this presence could only belong to HIM.

Fargo's tense eyes were now almost serene.

He began to prepare himself to set of in the direction of the power source.

He knew that it was time.

x x x x x

The newcomer gave a sinister smile.

Amy was the target of his smile and she shuddered. The stranger was man, rich blonde hair falling to his shoulders and quite handsome. His eyes however were golden and seemed to glow in the dullness of the room...but there was something ugly about their light, something that made Amy's flesh creep, especially because it was currently focused on HER.

A sense of foreboding crept over Amy.

Those eyes.

Those terrible eyes.

He stepped forward to her.

Instinctively she stepped back.

A hand was placed on her back and pushed her forwards again. Merula had got up and walked up behind Amy without her noticing.

"Thank you for bringing Sailor Mercury to me, Merula." the newcomer's voice was light but had a strange compelling quality which could not be denied.

"Have I done well?" Merula pushed Amy closer.

Her breasts were touching the stranger's broad chest now.

"Yes."

He turned his gold eyes back to Amy's blue.

A tremor went through her as those eyes glimmered at her. She had no idea who he was but in that moment Amy knew something for sure...she hated and was terrified by those eyes and it seemed to her that she had been for longer than she realised...

Amy was transfixed by his eyes and stood dazed as if she'd had too much sun shining in her face on a hot summer's day – but strangely as she gazed at the face of the man who she was now trapped at such close quarters with she felt a vague certainty that she had met him sometime before...or at least somebody very like him in looks, although she could not think of who in her bewilderment.

"Beauty that could break a thousand hearts," he said more to himself than her. "What yonder dove greets my eye?"

"Stay away from me!" Amy cried, though she knew it was useless.

He ignored that as he raised a black gloved hand.

As Amy watched a pink dust appeared and began to turn over and over in his palm.

Then the powder sprayed into her face, causing her to breathe sharply and inhale it.

A dizziness struck Amy and as she collapsed into his arms she realised what was so strange about his eyes.

They had no pupils.

x x x x x

People were gathering in the streets below to see what was causing the commotion.

An arc of blue light soared in a straight line through the sky. It left a trail of blue energy behind it.

Fargo was in flight, surrounded by the aura of light as he blazed his way towards his destination.

The total lack of solidity around him.

The feeling of the wind in his hair.

He hadn't flown in a long time and it felt good to be in the air again rather than crawling around on the ground.

Fargo had not felt so free in a long time.

Then his eyes narrowed as he increased his speed.

He realised that he must not forget the urgency of what was happening.

He had made a vow long, long ago and he took it very seriously.

x x x x x

The Temple of Dark Moon had lain in silence and gloom since being abandoned countless eons ago.

Until now.

Now the incense burners had been rekindled and once more blazed to light the darkness of the altar chamber.

The flames illuminated the great stained glass window on the ceiling.

Pure white light beamed down to the vast hall below, for the image it depicted was of a full moon.

One side of the moon was milk-white and the other a foul black.

On the altar of cold hard stone there lay a slender form.

Amy now wearing an elegant yet flimsy silk night-gown. Her delicate hands were lain across her chest as if in prayer.

Her eye-lids closed, the fact that she was still alive only shown by her shallow breathing.

Amy was still under the power of the sleeping spell.

Merula stood before the altar of Dark Moon, now in ceremonial dress.

The sinister man who had bewitched Amy, stood over her sleeping form.

The torch-light did not so much as illuminate his face but fore-shadow it; outlining its hard features.

His eyes glowed deeply.

"Ages ago the Moon Kingdom was brought to an end by the power of the Dark Queen." he spoke at last. "In the eleventh hour Queen Serenity asked me for my help in saving the lives of the chosen ones. I agreed with her request to send the Sailor Scouts and Prince Darien to Earth at a price. Serenity was unwilling to agree to what I asked of her but the significant one made the decision. So it was that the Sailor Scouts and Prince Darien were sent to Earth moments before the Moon Kingdom was wiped out by the Dark Queen and Serenity lost her own life defending her kingdom to the end. Much has come to pass since that fateful day. The Dark Queen made an attempt to take over the Earth but she and her generals were crushed by the Scouts and Darien. Now that all has been completed I have decided to claim my payment for saving the lives of Darien and the Sailor Scouts."

Merula had been growing bored of this - all she wanted was her agreed reward for bringing Amy to him. "Now to settle what remains," A lecherous grin touched Mu's face as he gazed at the purple-haired girl. "Yet your TRUE reward is yet to come my pretty agent...do not forget the promise that I made to you long ago on the plains."

Merula narrowed her eyes...

Mu took out the crystal rose Merula had used to block Amy's power the day before.

It flashed and became clear in the firelight.

A spiral of blue-light flowed from the rose and down to Amy.

The spiral entered her womb and dark-blue light began to flow up through the spiral and into the rose. A few droplets of blue dripped from the rose and into a vial in Mu's hand.

Then it ended.

The light faded away and Amy was left lying on the altar...somewhat changed.

Mu put away the rose and passed the vial to Merula who took it eagerly.

Then the world exploded.

Well, not literally.

The altar-chamber filled with a red blaze of light as a large section of the wall was blasted in.

The temperature shot up.

The smoke cleared away to reveal a red-haired figure standing in the massive hole that had once been the wall.

Fargo stared in at the scene within.

He had been able to tell from the various power outputs what had just happened.

Looking across he saw that Amy seemed perfectly safe and unharmed.

But he knew that he had already failed in a way.

_Well, it can't be helped,_ he thought, _I can't quit because things aren't how I want them to be. I have no choice but to go forth._

Lowering his hand and allowing his energy to go down, Fargo addressed Mu.

"I'm taking her out of here. Stand aside, Mu...NOW."

His initial surprise passed and Mu sneered.

"So, you're still shuffling around this mortal coil. A problem I think I'll rectify right now."

As Mu reached into his pocket Fargo closed his eyes and began to power up.

Obviously Mu did not intend to tackle him personally. That was heartening since from what Fargo had sensed so far Mu's power was even greater than ever so he had not been relishing the thought of taking him head-on.

Mu chuckled as he drew out four black pearls.

"Serenity always enjoyed using children to do her work." he threw the pearls into the air where they spread out.

All four of them landed on all of Fargo's sides and exploded on contact with the ground.

A thick cloud of smoke filled the chamber, stinging his eyes.

Not that it worried him.

Four figures had materialised in the chamber. Skeletons carrying bronze shields and scimitars now stood surrounding him.

"Get a load of MY kids!" Mu laughed mockingly as the skeletal warriors surrounded Fargo, who licked his lips.

x x x x x

Rei cried out in fear.

Something terrible had stole over her as she has sat, her eyes closed, in a trance.

She was trembling and had broken into a cold sweat.

"Death..." she whispered, her voice wavering.

x x x x x

"Y'know, from another point of view a skeleton wielding a sword may be considered funny."

"Aha! The ox bellows!" Mu taunted him.

A screech of metal striking metal echoed throughout the chamber.

Sparks burst as the scimitars clashed, missing their mark as Fargo launched himself straight up into the air.

Fargo turned in mid-air with uncanny agility and landed on the top of one of the skeletons' shields where he balanced.

He back-flipped over the scimitar which went for his back and instead it went straight through the head of the warrior whose shield he had 'borrowed', shattering it completely.

Fargo landed on the back of the attacking skeleton and held on.

A third warrior thrust its shield straight at his back with a speed that would have broken it.

"Care for a quick spin?" Fargo asked the skeleton he was holding and at the last minute he swung it around to take his place and let go.

There was a crash and the second skeleton's frame fell to the ground, battered beyond repair.

"Whoops. Guess that guy was afraid of flying. Two down." Fargo addressed the last two of undead. "Pretty inconvenient seeing as I really need to scratch the back of my foot right now."

Mu watched, growing increasingly concerned.

Meanwhile, Merula had slipped out of the temple carrying the vial of blue.

The blue that contained the essence of Mercury.

With two skeletal warriors on both sides Fargo realised that it was time to come out of the closet.

As his inner-power rose the aura of flight surrounded him as he rose into the air.

His eyes became pure white and lightning crackled between his fingers.

"LIGHT OF DEATH!" Fargo screamed, his voice waking the echoes of the temple.

The light gathering on his finger-tip burst as the energy was released.

A spiralling beam of energy shot down to the floor. The skeleton on the right was the first to go. Its bones were blackened and reduced to a pile of dust on the floor.

Turning his cupped hands a little to the left Fargo changed the direction of the beam.

The sole surviving skeleton was unable to avoid the path of the beam of destructive energy and was disintegrated on the spot.

Breathing heavily Fargo dropped back down to the floor, the threat averted.

The Light of Death had really cost him more energy than he could afford but he had had to end the fight quickly in case Mu made off with Amy.

A glance at the altar satisfied him that Amy still lay there in magically induced slumber.

With narrow eyes he fixed gazes with Mu.

The blonde villain stood with his arms folded and seemed quite unconcerned by the young warrior's show of power.

"Well, well, well. My good fellow, umm...ahh..."

"Fargo." said Fargo between his clenched teeth.

"Ah yes...I apologize most sincerely but I can't be expected to remember the name of every rat that crosses my path, you understand? But I must say...Serenity made a wise decision in choosing you when she could have selected one more worthy of her trust."

"What are you going to do?" Fargo asked, ignoring the taunt, which made his hackles rise.

"Well right now? I'm leaving," Mu twinkled his fingers at him as a farewell gesture. "We both know I could crush you with a flick of my finger. However it would hardly do to endanger the lady." Mu's eyes glowed deeply. "I take my leave of you now. I'll leave Amy in your hands but I will return for her one day very soon. Remember Fargo...Emperor Mu always takes what is owed to him."

Mu's body began to glow and became a pillar of light which shrank down into a sphere of ethereal energy.

Fargo watched, glaring coldly as the ball floated across the hall and disappeared through a wall. Then he turned his attention to Amy, who still lay in slumber as if nothing had happened.

His breath quickened. She was as beautiful as always. He had not seen her for several centuries after the fall of the Moon Kingdom but the one and only time he had met her before now he had been struck by her pure and innocent loveliness.

Perhaps that had been why he had been so willing to accept Queen Serenity's offer.

But there was no time for this now.

Fargo picked up Amy's sleeping form in his arms and began to carry her out of the temple.

Something was wrong.

Fargo was half-way across the moonlit field when he realised that Amy was not sleeping naturally.

He laid her gently down in the grass and inspected her.

Amy's breathing was shallow but there didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with her.

Fargo still found it hard to believe that she had stayed asleep throughout all that had happened in the Temple of Dark Moon.

Then he remembered that the people from Mu's time had possessed incredible gifts including sorcery.

Amy must be under the influence of a spell of some kind.

He thought the problem over in his mind.

A portion of his energy might be enough to awaken her.

But how to transfer it into her...

Then he had it.

A tingle spread through his body and not only because he had begun to raise his energy.

Placing his right hand beneath Amy's head Fargo knelt down beside her and lowered his head over her own.

He closed his eyes as he found her lips to be tingly and pleasant.

His body started to glow a violet light as the energy travelled through his body and into Amy's. Amy's eye-lids fluttered as she sighed deeply.

Fargo's hands were trembling as he released her and Amy got up and looked around as if in a dream rather than having just come out of one.

Fargo's heart kicked the side of his ribs.

In the moonlight Amy's blue eyes and hair shone, making her seem like a goddess.

Amy had noticed how cold the breeze was and was staring at her flimsy night-gown.

The last thing she was able to remember was a stranger with rich gold hair and eyes.

She'd noticed Fargo by now and looked to him for an explanation.

"Amy," Fargo decided to save the explanation for later. "We are in great danger here. Come with me and I'll explain everything you want to know," he offered her his hand. "But for now just please...trust me?"

Amy blinked. _Here I am standing in the middle of a field at midnight, semi-naked and a weird boy asks me to trust him? _She thought...it was so bizarre already that she didn't even take into account the fact that he knew her name.

But something told her that the strange boy's intentions were good and true.

She couldn't understand where this unusual assurance came from but she felt as if she should go with her feelings.

She extended her hand.

"I trust you," Amy answered. "Yes, I trust you."


	4. Sailor Mercury vs the Shadow Hunter

Chapter Three: Sailor Mercury vs. The Shadow Hunter

"Who are you?" Amy asked plainly.

Fargo looked over his shoulder at her from where he was stirring two mugs of tea.

Amy was sitting on the couch, her legs crossed femininely as she watched him.

Fargo had brought her back to his apartment deciding that it was too late to set off for Amy's neighbourhood.

"One of your fans," he replied. "My name is Fargo."

"What do you mean, 'one of your fans'?" Amy wondered aloud.

He gave her a meaningful look.

Amy felt her stomach back flip as she understood.

"You know." she stated, not meaning it as a question.

The expression he had given her said more than words could.

Fargo nodded.

"You're one of the Sailor Scouts. Your true name is Sailor Mercury."

It didn't surprise her in the least. Her life was hardly normal at the best of times but the events of this night had put her days as a Sailor Scout to shame.

Merula had told her that she had known who she really was as if it had been common knowledge.

One more person who knew that she was Sailor Mercury could hardly do her any harm.

Certainly Fargo hadn't threatened her in any way.

Amy didn't even bother to ask him how he possibly knew. Fargo brought over the mugs of tea and handed one to Amy and she focused her attention on that instead.

Fargo sat in a rickety chair as Amy took a sip from her mug.

The tea was strong but not all that bad.

Fargo grunted at her expression. "Ain't poison ya know."

A little embarrassed, Amy swallowed the warm drink.

"So, where are your parents?" she asked, trying to break the uneasy silence.

"Dead. Both of them." Fargo made the reply that had become easier and easier over the many years.

"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry." Amy's face softened.

"Don't be," he shrugged. "My Mom was killed in a terrorist bombing..."

"What?" Amy blinked at him.

"And my Dad was stabbed in the back by a guy he'd thought was a friend...it happened when I was really young. I don't remember either of them so I'm not going to waste energy thinking about them."

Amy was barely listening.

"That's...interesting." She breathed, with just the faintest hint of a smile as she looked him straight in the eye.

"Y-yeah..." Fargo quickly took another drink of tea to give himself an excuse not to say anything else on the matter.

However, Amy was not about to let go of the matter.

"Have you always lived like this then? Lived alone?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation in another direction.

Swallowing the tea Fargo glanced around the shabby apartment for inspiration and shrugged again - this little trick of his annoyed those closest to him. Or it would have done if anyone had been close to him.

"I spent most of my time before I was eight years old in an orphanage. I ended up running off."

"You ran away? But how did you survive in the world without friends or resources?"

He guessed it showed Amy's sophistication that she didn't just say 'who gave you food and where did you sleep?'.

"I got by." Fargo replied in a tone that implied that he didn't want to talk about it.

Amy decided to give him his space.

"So, how did you get involved in this?" She asked, finally getting to the point. "And why are you going out of your way for me?"

"Hey it's my nature to help damsels in distress against evil little witches. I've been after Mu since an incident a couple of years back. I've been on his trail ever since. It's become something of a personal vendetta."

Something in his voice told her that he had not told her the full answer to her question.

Fargo hadn't actually lied to her but still, he hadn't told her everything.

"Mu?" Amy thought about the golden-eyed stranger who had sent her to sleep. "That's his name? But I don't understand. What can you do against him?"

Fargo shook his head incredulously.

"I can hardly believe you just said that! A fourteen year old girl (not that I have anything against the female gender) who gallivants around the city in a short skirt with her four friends fighting demonic warriors from another dimension is asking me what is in my power?"

Amy accepted the rebuke with an abashed smile, which only made her even more good-looking.

"Going to be a cold night...I'll just empty out my trash." Fargo rose, picked up his waste-paper basket – carrying this over to the window, he upturned it and shook out the contents. "Onto that man down there...anyway, we'll get some sleep now and in the morning I'll take you back to the other Scouts. I'll lend you some of my things too, unless you want to walk in like that, that is."

Amy nodded and pulled at the night-gown.

"Not for the war-room, huh?" she agreed.

x x x x x

Meanwhile...

"But what if someone comes along?" the girl insisted, rising to her feet.

"They won't!" he grasped her by the shoulders and pulled her back down on to the park bench with him. "It's one in the morning, who's gonna come along at this hour? And anyway, I really love you, ya know."

His words dampened her anxiety.

A little.

They both settled down on the bench and were soon tangled in each others arms. His lips were red-hot as she closed her eyes, her heart thumping against her rib-cage.

They were in a secluded thicket and if there were any stars in the early morning sky then they were blocked out by the overhanging branches.

It must have been the mild trance the couple had drifted off into that caused them not to hear the cracking of bracken being broken underfoot.

Half-way through mid-grope the girl froze as she heard someone breathing heavily above her.

Whoever it was coughed and hacked as if ridden with asthma.

She broke her lips from those of her lover and looked up.

Red eyes glared down on her, burning with a malevolence that surely must have come from Hell.

She screeched in terror and leapt to her feet.

Then everything went red and she knew nothing more...

x x x x x

Back at the Tsukino household, Serena awoke to the beeping of her communicator.

Grunting as she screwed up her tired eyes she reached down, brought her communicator up to her bleary eyes and pressed the acceptance button.

"Serena? Is that you?" It was Lita's face that appeared on the tiny square screen.

"Hey there, Lita." Serena mumbled, her eyes closed. "What's the matter? Seen any aliens?"

"Not unless you count a creature from the Negaverse. Mina just called to say that Artemis just detected one somewhere in the park."

"Another one?" Serena opened her eyes as she felt a familiar, tired ache spread through her. "That's the third one this week."

"Anyway, Artemis wants you over there with the rest of us right now. Guess I'll see ya soon, 'kay?"

Grumbling to herself Serena brushed off the covers to prepare herself for a long night.

x x x x x

"Huh?"

Amy jolted up from the bed she'd been drifting off into sleep in and sat bolt-upright, listening intently.

She was almost certain that she had heard a woman screaming.

But then again she had been about to drop off so she might have been...

Another scream made her jump to her feet.

That scream had belonged to a boy.

Whoever he was he had sounded as if he had been filled with terror and mortification.

Without thinking twice about it Amy slipped out of the flimsy night-gown and padded over to the clothing Fargo had prepared for her.

She slid into the tight white top and then on went the blue denim jeans and lastly the battered trainers.

Dressed and ready Amy left the room and went to the front door.

As she quietly turned the handle she hesitated.

It soon passed and she looked back at the room in which Fargo slept.

"I'm sorry, Fargo," Amy whispered as she slowly opened the door and slipped out into the cold night. "Forgive me."

It was fantastic night as Amy neared the park. Had she the time she would have probably taken the chance to admire the stars adorning the heavens and giving light to a darkened world.

However she had no time to spare.

Amy stopped just outside the gateway leading into the pitch-black park and listened.

She couldn't see a thing beyond the gate but straining really hard she was able to make out a distant cracking noise.

It was as if someone was doing an awful lot in the middle of a bush or something...

Amy thought quickly.

She had no way of calling the other Sailor Scouts here and they had no idea where she was...

Making her mind up Amy held her arms wide and spread out her fingers.

Her Transformation Pen was spun around in a circle several times in her fingers.

"Mercury Star Power! Make Up!"

A magnificent blue light surrounded Amy's body in a heavenly aura.

Her eyes glowed as her clothing faded away from her body and blue lighting crackled between her fingers. A white sailor's shirt appeared on her body followed by a short blue skirt flickering in the breeze. A gold tiara set with a sapphire stone appeared at her forehead and blue dust floated down to her spraying her finger-nails and painting them dark blue.

A pair of knee-length blue boots and long white gloves completed Amy's transformation into Sailor Mercury.

As Sailor Mercury set off running into the shadow-bound park a plexi-glass visor slid across her eyes and information whirred across it.

Mercury could see perfectly in the dark with its help and a black dot flashing on and off indicated that her quarry was close.

Sailor Mercury prepared herself for the worst as she headed right for the evil...

"Mercury Bubbles!"

The black leathery skinned beast was taken completely by surprise.

It had been in the process of kneeling by the body of the girl whom it had slain minutes before with its long tail extended. The barbed stigma had been inching closer and closer towards the female's neck ready to puncture her delicate skin...

That was when Sailor Mercury arrived.

The monster's black skin was bombarded by several sparkling bubbles of freezing ice, making it scream in anguish.

Taken from behind it stood at its full height and glared around with its red eyes burning to see who had ambushed it.

Sailor Mercury stood at the end of the thicket, a vision of loveliness in the moonlight, her hands cupped in front of her as if she had just pushed something forward.

"You have been weighed by the scales of justice and have been found wanting! You intrude within this world and take the lives of the innocent but no longer. I am Sailor Mercury and as the Princess of Mercury I will stop you!" Sailor Mercury announced.

The sinister entity from the Negaverse curled up its barbed tail and snarled.

It had been a long time since the shadow creature had last had the chance to quench its thirst for human souls and its appetite was tingling.

The beast resolved to kill Sailor Mercury and take her soul first.

Seeing the cruel intent in the monster's eyes Mercury got down to business.

"Mercury Bubbles!" she cried.

This time however the creature swatted away the barrage of ice bubbles with its thick tail. Spurred on by the cold and the frost on its skin though the being dropped onto all fours and sprang forward like a cat.

Gracefully Sailor Mercury flung herself up out of the path of the monster and onto the top bough of a high tree.

From her perch she flicked a switch on her plexi-glass visor as she focused down on the monster.

A red circle homed in on the beast and the screen filled with data.

Name: Black Manta

Element: Shadow Based

Weak against: Light Based Attacks

Notes: Stalks its prey through dark isolated locations. Saps the soul of its prey via the stigma located at the end of the tail and devours it.

Sailor Mercury's brow clouded.

She would have given a lot to have seen Sailor Moon at the moment. Her Crescent Moon Sceptre would have ended this in a heart-beat.

Dammit! She'd been spotted!

Mercury jumped down from the branch as it was splintered by the monster's barbed tail.

She landed nimbly on the ground and cushioned the impact with her hands.

The monster had turned back and fixed her with a baleful glare of hate.

Then she had it.

Sailor Moon wasn't here but she would make do with the next best thing.

Holding her hands straight up at the over-hanging branches she called.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" a hail of pure coldness shot from her palms and covered every inch of the branches transforming them into pure ice.

Then...CRACK!

The brittle ice cracked and fell into chunks, which showered Sailor Mercury and the beast.

The moonlight beamed down through the gaping gap in the branches.

The beast shrieked and closed its tortured eyes against the blazing white light.

It could not move out of the shaft of light and was evaporated by it.

Sailor Mercury shivered as she transformed back into Amy. At first as she glanced down at the couple who had been attacked by the Black Manta, Amy felt a stab of dread at the sight of their pale faces – she had got here so late, taken such a long time to destroy the demon! Were they... Then she heaved a huge sigh of relief as she saw colour slowly filtering back into their unconscious faces...they would both recover!

The demon had not had the time to digest the energy that it had devoured and now that she had destroyed it the vital essence was returning to the bodies of its rightful owners – the boy and girl who she now realised that she had managed to save...

Someone coughed politely behind her.

Amy turned to see the Sailor Scouts standing there.

"What the HELL happened here?" breathed Sailor Jupiter in wonder.


	5. Battle of the Sailor Scouts

Chapter Four: Battle of the Sailor Scouts 

"Aha! There you are!" Luna was angry.

Perhaps like the prophet of old she considered that she did well to be angry.

The intellectual cat had served along side her counter-part Artemis as an advisor to Queen Serenity many centuries ago during the days before the fall of the Moon Kingdom. It was after the Twilight of the Moon Kingdom - when Luna and Artemis had been transported to Earth, along with the five princesses of the Solar System, in order to escape the clutches of the Dark Queen - that Artemis had located Venus, and she had been the first to recover her true identity. Venus had gone on to become the mysterious heroine Sailor V.

Since she had had no way of contacting Artemis it had been left to Luna to find the other four princesses - it had taken a while but in the end they had all come together, re-united as the Sailor Scouts.

Luna had done her best to teach the girls the virtue of discipline and responsibility.

But in the past day one of her charges, whom she had considered to be her greatest student, seemed to have taken leave of the group and to throw her responsibility to the winds without so much as a word.

Sailor Mercury had disappeared without a word to the others and Luna wanted to know why.

Now seeing Amy walk in with Serena and the other girls had brought all of the anger that had gathered over the past day right out.

Luna jumped onto the living-room table as she saw Amy. "Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" she demanded.

Amy gave a start as she perceived the anger in Luna's voice.

For a few minutes she was at a loss for words. When she received no answer to her accusation Luna continued. "You know exactly what I mean. The last time any of us saw you was last night. Since then you haven't been to school nor contacted us."

Amy found her voice somehow.

"I can't believe you're saying this to me, Luna!" she protested, stammering slightly.

"Well, why should I speak any other way?" Luna brushed aside Amy's plea. "Why shouldn't I treat you with just the respect that you've treated the rest of us?"

"Luna!" Serena exclaimed as her eyes widened at the cat's words to her best friend.

"No, Serena, I'm going to say this because it needs to be said! We can't have her thinking that she can just go off and leave us in the lurch if she feels like it! You may think that that's the way a Sailor Scout should behave but I don't!" Luna's voice was full of biting scorn.

The words struck Amy like a blow to the stomach.

She could feel the eyes of the other girls on her.

Serena, Rei, Lita and Mina were not condemning her as readily as Luna but obviously they were all wondering just what she had been up to while she had been away.

Amy felt hurt - her only friends in the world doubted her. Their doubt gnawed at her heart like a hostile cancer invading her body.

"Nothing to say?" Luna asked sarcastically.

Amy could hardly believe that Luna was speaking to her like this. Along with Serena the talking cat had been one of the first real friends she had ever found and now...

But then the pain was gone and it was replaced by pure anger. It must have shown on her face because Luna's tirade dried up as she saw her expression.

"You think you're so clever!" Amy snapped. "You really think I just abandoned you all for no reason?"

"I don't think, I know." Luna recovered from her shock and rallied again. "If not then where were you when that monster attacked a few days ago?"

"Well I was only kidnapped, stripped and humiliated. The usual." she didn't even bring Fargo into it. This was a difficult situation as it was.

"Well you certainly found replacement clothing." Luna eyed Amy's white top disdainfully.

Amy blushed.

"So where were you? Did you go and get drunk and couldn't face us in the morning or something? Is that it?" Amy gasped.

"LUNA!" Mina's voice was stricken and her face was appalled.

"Draw the line Luna." Lita muttered, balking at the suspicion in the cat's mind. But it was too late.

"That's what you think, is it?" Amy's voice was deceptively calm but her blue eyes flashed with passion and excitement.

"What would your mother say?" was all Luna could think of.

That was it.

Everyone watched stunned as Amy pulled back her hand and smacked Luna around the head.

"Go to hell!" she half screamed at her. "Never suggest that I have shamed my mother! I had so much respect for you! I admired you...but no longer!"

With that Amy turned on her heel and walked straight out. The girls were speechless.

"Wow," said Lita after a while. "Someone had to say that one day. I just can't believe it was her!"

Serena had slipped out after Amy, who was breathing hard as she reached the door.

"Hey, Aims, are you ok?" Serena asked her friend. Amy was leaning on the door, her face pale from the stress and strain of the past day and that moment. Her anger at Luna had drained away, leaving only a weary bitterness.

"No. Serena, if you have any decency and respect for my feelings just let me walk out now." she muttered.

"You can't." Serena impulsively moved to stop her friend. Amy flinched from Serena's touch.

"I can." was all she said.

Serena watched in silence, a solitary tear trickling down her cheek as her friend went off alone into the night and the emptiness it promised her.

x x x x x

Merula smirked as she slid the vial out of her sleeve.

She spent a few moments toying with the glass, turning it over and over in her palm, watching the blue liquid flow around.

She finally had all she wanted right here.

She'd waited for it for so long and now she was going to have it all. She uncorked the vial.

But it wasn't water in the vial.

The glass contained pure Mercury and it was this that Merula allowed to trickle into her mouth.

The essence taken from Sailor Mercury that night. Having drunk it Merula stood still and waited for it to take effect.

x x x x x

It had taken him a good while to follow her trail.

Now he took the concrete steps three at a time as he descended into the disused train station.

Amy was naïve. Perhaps that was what drew him to her so much.

Fargo smirked.

That girl simply had no idea how to make sure that no one could track her.

Fargo had been irritated beyond measure when he had sensed Amy leaving his apartment.

He had watched her head for the park from his window before gliding down to the ground and following her. However before he had been able to go into the park after her the other Sailor Scouts had arrived and he had watched from behind a tree as they had met up with Amy again.

Looking around he caught sight of his quarry.

Amy was sitting on a bench with her head in her hands. She had not seen him yet so he approached her.

Amy heard his footsteps and as she looked up he could see the dried tears on her cheeks.

"Oh. It's you." Amy said flatly as she recognised him.

"Lil' old me." Fargo agreed. "What's up Amy? You look bluer than usual."

"Nothing you'd understand." she rebuffed him.

"Try me." he asserted.

Amy just sighed.

Fargo's face was impassive but he realised that something about him made her feel uneasy.

"Is it me?" he asked straight out. She sighed again.

"You're so cold Fargo. How can you be so cold?"

Fargo realised that he had never really thought about it before. The thing was that he couldn't remember a thing about his past before the day of his great promise. That was the sole memory that Fargo could consciously recall. If there was a special reason for who he was he had no idea what.

"Amy," Fargo found that she didn't resist as he took her shoulders in his hands and drew her to her feet. "I can't help who I am. I'm not perfect. But you have great friends who'll stand by you through it all. I'm not sure what's happened but I feel sure that they'll remain true to you no matter what."

Amy didn't understand.

A few hours ago he hadn't shown any regret when flippantly talking about the deaths of his mom and dad and now here he was, preaching to her about friendship? Then she felt his grip on her tense and saw his face crease.

"What?" Amy asked dreading the answer.

"I feel it...someone is coming...someone with a power that...dwarves my own..." he growled.

The temperature had dropped drastically.

Amy was the first to notice, since she was hardly dressed for a cold night. She hugged the sides of her shoulders. Fargo simply ignored the cold.

"Fargo, look!" Amy cried pointing up at the ceiling. Fargo looked up and definitely didn't like what he saw.

The ceiling was covered in blue ice that was right at that very moment spreading from the centre, covering the whole train station with frost. The cold air was nearly unbearable!

Amy felt her skin turning white.

The clouds burst - with a sharp crack the ceiling broke into millions of pieces as it was transformed into ice.

Amy covered her eyes against the tiny shards of frost but Fargo was focused on the figure who hung in the air above them. The figure slowly lowered through the hole in the roof. Amy and Fargo watched as the newcomer landed in front of them.

Amy breathed deeply.

A gold tiara glittered at the stranger's forehead as the ice shone on it. In it there was set a sapphire. She also wore a white sailor's shirt and a short blue skirt as well as white elbow length gloves and blue boots.

A Sailor Scout? But this could not be. Amy was the only Scout who wore blue and it definitely wasn't Sailor Moon, Mars, Venus or Jupiter standing in front of her. The gleam in her glimmering brown eyes seemed to mock Amy.

"Merula," Amy breathed as she remembered when she had last seen those eyes.

Merula grinned in mockery.

"How nice of you to remember. You're as pretty as ever Amy," she said. "Of course you must be wondering about all of this. Well, let me make it clear to you. Yes, I am a Sailor Scout..."

"That's a lie!" Amy broke out. "There are only five of us on Earth! I know because..." she struggled for a way to banish the doubt she felt welling up in her.

"You'd best ask Luna about that. How is that pompous old moggy these days anyway?"

Amy's head swam. How could Merula be a Sailor Scout? But if she weren't then how could she know about Luna as well as her personality?

"Poor Amy. You still don't really understand do you? Well then just watch this and you'll see. Unfortunately that essence of Mercury I took from you only revived my MERCURIAN power but I'm SURE that with a little exertion of will-power I can..."

Merula held out her arms and spread out her fingers in much the same way Amy did when she was about to transform. "Universal Planet Power! Make Up!"

A sphere of darkness surrounded her body pulsing and disintegrating the benches around her as well as some of the floor. The darkness was so intense that Amy and Fargo were forced to narrow their eyes in order to make anything out...and yet burning white STARS danced around it, making it seem like a great orb in which a piece of the night-sky had been captured.

In the middle of the sphere Merula transformed.

Her boots flowed like liquid and became a pair of black high-heels. Her skirt changed from blue to the darkest black. A dark dust sprayed onto her finger nails colouring them black. Merula's hair was twisted, by some invisible force, into one long braid that hung loosely behind her.

The darkness of Merula's Scout outfit seemed to drain all the light out of the train station.

Merula spoke with a voice seemed to be full of dark power. "I am Sailor Universe and I will kill you. Sailor Mercury, time to die!" And pointing her finger at Amy she spoke. "Death Ice!"

The air around became bitter with acrid coldness as ice began to form around her finger tip and black lightning crackled between her fingers. Then a blast of vile freezing coldness rocketed straight at Amy, who was too stunned to avoid it.

But the ice of death never touched her.

As soon as the beam had been discharged Fargo, who had remained completely silent during the entire conversation, sprang to one side with cat-like reflexes.

A horrifying blood-chilling scream echoed throughout the chamber as the ray hit him head on. The cold pierced his body like a sponge dropped in water and left there. His blood stream froze into a sluggish trickle.

He collapsed onto his back breathing shallowly as, and it sounded FAR off, Amy cried out in horror. As the world around him darkened Fargo leaned to one side to look up at her.

"Up to you now...Sailor Mercury." Fargo allowed himself the pleasure of blacking out. Hearing these words brought Amy to her senses.

Spreading out her arms and fingers and holding her Transformation Pen Amy called out.

"Mercury Star Power! Make Up!"

Warmth spread through her body as her clothing faded away and were replaced. As the blue light died down it was Sailor Mercury and not Amy who stood preparing to do battle with Sailor Universe.

x x x x x

"Whoah! See that? The reading's going right off the scale!"

Artemis had gathered Luna and the rest of the Scouts at Rei's grandpa's temple and they were all gathered around the Planet Power Detector, an all-new piece of equipment that Artemis had conjured up especially for this situation.

At first all that the group had intended to use it for was to find out where Amy had gone after she had walked off, all alone, in the middle of the night.

There had been a great deal of resentment towards Luna among the girls because of the way she had treated Amy who was the best-liked of the group of five. As for Luna she had felt bad as soon as Serena had told that Amy had gone, remembering how she'd spoken to her and how she'd doubted her word and suggested that her mother would have been ashamed of her.

She had sent word for Artemis to prepare the PP Detector so that they could find Amy and talk her into returning. Luna had been prepared to apologise to any extent in this case.

However what they had been expecting was far from what greeted their eyes as the Detector located Amy.

Amy had transformed into Sailor Mercury for some reason which was not quite clear. After all if an enemy from the Negaverse had attacked then wouldn't Artemis have detected it before?

But it wasn't that that caught their attention.

It was the presence of ANOTHER Sailor Scout that astounded the group.

Well if Sailors Moon, Mars, Venus and Jupiter were here together then who could be with Mercury...?

"What do you think?" Artemis asked his black counter-part.

"The power source certainly belongs to a Sailor Scout." Luna responded but everyone noticed straight away that there was a catch in her voice.

"What's the matter?" Rei asked her uneasily after a while in which Luna did not go on.

"Well..." Luna would have bit her lip. Perhaps she did but not having seen a cat bite their lip before the girls had no way of telling. But everyone realised that for some reason the black cat was trying to avoid answering the question.

Serena couldn't understand it at all. For the time she'd know Luna the intelligent cat had been very collected and together. She had never seen her as disconcerted as this. Not even when the Scouts had been trapped inside Malachite's energy sphere and had only been saved by the appearance of Sailor Venus.

Luna shook her dusky head.

"Shouldn't you four be getting over there and helping Mercury?" she demanded with something of the old snap in her voice.

Before any of the girls could press the matter she turned and scuttled off into the night.

As Luna ran all the way back to Serena's house her face was grim and her thoughts mixed and not wholly pleasant.

_Which one of them is it?_ She wondered as she ran. _Which of them has returned after all this time...?_

x x x x x

"How could you? He never did anything to you!" Sailor Mercury accused. "You had no right to make him suffer like that!"

Sailor Universe leered.

"Always the caring, warm one, eh, Mercury? Well you wouldn't be so quick to come to Fargo's defence if you knew what I did."

"What are you talking about?" Mercury was intrigued but wary of deceit intended to throw her off guard.

"I mean that I'm not like you or the others, Mercury."

"That's for sure." Mercury cut her off bitterly.

"No, no, not like that." Universe's eyes seemed to glaze over as her voice changed to a more serious tone. "I'm not like you five in the sense that I can remember my previous life before..."

"Before what?" Mercury pressed, when she stopped.

Sailor Universe breathed deeply, closing her eyes for a few minutes as if what she was about to say needed a lot of effort.

"I can remember what happened in my life before the fall of the Moon Kingdom back in the days when Queen Serenity still ruled. You see, Sailor Mercury, unlike you, your friends and Prince Darien I was not sent to Earth after the Kingdom was destroyed. Well...not at the same time as the rest of you, anyway."

Something in her voice made Mercury stop to think.

That Merula was a Sailor Scout was certain. There could be no doubt now that she had revealed that she knew about Luna, the other Scouts, Darien and the Moon Kingdom. So then what had happened to stop Universe from leaving the Moon Kingdom for Earth at the same time they all had? Why had Luna claimed that she, Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Venus were the only Sailor Scouts? There was no way Luna couldn't have known about Sailor Universe having been one of Queen Serenity's advisors...And how had Universe got to Earth, and what had happened to her all those years ago to make her the way she was now?

It didn't matter. Explanations were going to have to wait for a while.

"That's enough talk for now," Sailor Universe snapped, pointing with her dark gloved finger at her. "Let's get on with it! Have at you Sailor Mercury!"

And from where he lay on the floor several feet away Fargo mulled over in his head what he had just heard.

Fargo had managed to drag himself out of his cold induced coma in time to hear what had just been discussed by the two Sailor Scouts. Without realising it Universe had brought to light the possibility of him finding out about his past. Finding out what had happened to lead to him making his sacred promise to Queen Serenity. But as with before, this was going to have to wait. There was nothing he could do in his condition but to watch how things played out and to hope that Sailor Mercury had what it took to take out a fellow Sailor Scout.

As it happened Mercury had been wondering about that exact same thing.

The discovery that Merula was a fellow-Scout complicated the whole thing. Could she bring herself to fight another Scout? Wouldn't that be just like fighting Serena?

No! No matter what Merula had done Mercury couldn't lower herself to her level. But then what?

She had no time to work this interesting problem out.

"Death Ice!" The all too familiar bitter coldness set all of Mercury's nerves on edge again.

She stood, prepared to spring as the ice gathered to Universe's finger-tip and as the blast of ice made for her she uncoiled and avoided the blast with cat-like grace.

Sailor U's eyes were on her as she came down behind some dismantled benches which were piled up on top of each other.

Heh... Universe's lip curled maliciously. She was trying to get under cover, then?

"Hell Fire!" All at once, searing heat blasted Sailor Mercury, reaching her even behind her hiding place and she was only able to jump out of the way in time to avoid becoming the same smoking ashes as the benches.

But her eyes were wide as she stared at the other Sailor Scout.

"You used a fire attack!" Mercury exclaimed, still hardly believing it. "But that can't be! A Sailor Scout can only draw on the power of ONE planet! And Sailor Mars has the fire element! How..."

Universe just sneered.

It dawned on Mercury that what she was now engaged in was quite possibly the fight of her life...

x x x x x

"This is near the spot, you three!" Sailor Venus called back to her comrades who were leaping across the rooftops towards her.

Venus was pointing the Planet Power Detector north into the city when it had suddenly gone ballistic.

Two sources of Planet Power in one place at the same time. Venus was baffled by the implications of it.

When the detector had picked up the sources Serena, Lita, Rei and herself had been together so the source couldn't have belonged to any of them. So who was with Sailor Mercury right now if it wasn't Moon, Mars, Jupiter or herself? A sixth Scout? But if there was another Sailor Scout then why had Luna or Artemis never spoken of her? It made no sense.

But when they had first detected the new source of Planet Power earlier that evening Luna had began to act strangely. She had snapped rather more sternly than she usually would have done at them to go help Sailor Mercury. It was like she had been avoiding answering the question.

"Sailor V?" Venus realised that she'd stopped and had been thinking for so long that the other Scouts had had time to catch up with her. "You've been standing there doing nothing for three minutes, you know that?" Sailor Jupiter asked regarding her curiously. "What's on your mind?"

Venus shook her hair. She had no time to be thinking right now. When they found Sailor Mercury they would see what they would see.

"I've managed to locate the sources." Venus avoided answering the question by showing them the two blips on the detector's small screen. One blue and one black.

"So there IS another Scout!" exclaimed Mars as she looked at the unknown reading.

"I don't know. Look, let's just go and find Mercury. Something tells me that she could really use our help right now!"

Sailor Venus had no idea how right she was.

x x x x x

Sailor Mercury had to keep on her feet to escape being frizzled like barbecued meat as Sailor Universe continued to bombard her with her flame attack.

Universe never seemed to weaken or slow down but kept up her vicious assault as if there was nothing else in the world than Mercury. As the glow of the flames died down from her attack Universe took a moment to try and get her quarry in her sights.

She stared.

And blinked.

Sailor Mercury was nowhere to be seen.

In fact Mercury had used the cover of the fires intense glare to duck behind a large stone support pillar on the other side of the train station on the basis that Universe couldn't roast her alive if she couldn't see her.

Her theory was sound but flawed, for after not being able to find Mercury after two minutes Universe simply jumped up on the top of a ruined train and bombarded the entire chamber with her flames!

Behind the pillar Sailor Mercury closed her eyes feeling the intense heat of the flames. If she stayed here she was done for...

Using a break in between the bouts of pouring fire she sprang out from behind the pillar and rolling beneath the heat she stood just below the pillar Universe had situated herself atop of.

Moving quickly as Universe spotted her standing there Sailor Mercury spread out her arms.

"Mercury Ice Storm!" she cried.

The chamber was blasted with a cold aura as she focused her ice attack and let it rip.

Sailor Universe narrowed her eyes against the cold as her hair was blown back behind her head by the oncoming blast. But she focused on the blast approaching her coolly, coldly, calculatingly.

And the very moment before it arrived she dropped her fire attack and summoned a different power.

"Death Ice!"

In an instant she had formed her own ice attack which she had used earlier to drop Fargo.

The chambers walls were transformed completely into brittle ice and the air was unbearably freezing as the two ice attacks met head on.

There was a short pause as the two ice blasts grappled, pushing each other back and forth slowly struggling for supremacy.

Both Sailor Mercury and Sailor Universe threw all they had into the terrific battle of wills.

Their eyes narrowed as they both felt the acute weight of their struggle with each other.

However in the end it was Sailor Universe who proved superior.

With a heart-rending scream Mercury fell onto her back as her ice beam was cancelled out by the other and she was hit head on by it. Her body was assailed by intense cold and for a moment she thought that she was finally finished.

But her enemy had no intention of killing her.

This was made clear as Sailor Universe dropped the ice beam and stepped off the edge of the pillar. Sailor Mercury watched helplessly as she landed on the floor a few feet away from her.

There was nothing she could do. She was as weak as a kitten and could hardly move.

Struggling with all her remaining strength Mercury got onto her knees as Sailor Universe came to a halt in front of her.

There was a smirk of malicious satisfaction on Universe's face as she stared down at her fallen adversary.

"You know something?" Universe broke the unbearable silence. "That was nowhere near as fulfilling as I imagined it would be."

Desperately Mercury raised her gloved hand and pulled inside for her remaining Planet Power...

"Oh please!" Sailor Universe spread her arms and fingers as dark lightning crackled between them. "And now to bring the show to a close...a bondage trick! Inescapable Ensnare!"

Sailor Mercury watched in horror as a pair of solid steel handcuffs materialised around her wrists. She pulled her hands apart but they held tight.

As they did so she felt her Planet Power fade away into nothingness - her Sailor Suit disappeared as she turned back into Amy.

"A special metal created by Emperor Mu's best sorcerers especially to contain your power," Universe explained. "You're coming with me whether you like it or not, my dear, sweet Princess Mercury."

Weak and exhausted and stripped of her powers Amy could do nothing as Universe stepped forward and lifted her up, slung her over her shoulder and turning set off towards the exit.

And across the other side of the train station, where Fargo lay in a pool of frozen blood, a tide of black despair washed over his heart and silenced his mind.

He had failed in his trust.

He had not been able to keep his promise to Queen Serenity. Fargo's life was no longer worth living.

And it was in the middle of this whirlwind of despair and self-loathing that the amazed Sailor Scouts of the Moon, Mars, Venus and Jupiter arrived in the blasted ruin that had once been the train station and found him lying there.


	6. Mu's Revelation

Chapter Five: Mu's Revelation

_Sometime later..._

He could feel the warmth all around him.

Comforting him.

A short while ago his body had been frozen solid. His blood reduced to a sickly trickle and his heart slowed down to an impossible rate.

He was alive...!

Fargo had felt certain that his time had come.

So how was it that he now sat up weakly but all too alive somewhere that certainly wasn't the train station?

Fargo found that that he was lying on a comfortably cushioned sofa in the living room of a house somewhere in the suburbs.

He was perfectly well and felt strong enough to take on the world.

Considering the fact that he ought to have been a frozen corpse right now this was remarkable to say the least.

Still, if anatomy had decided to drop its tradition of continuity then who was he to argue?

Looking around though Fargo saw that he was not alone.

Four teenage girls stood over him watching him inquisitively as he sat up.

Two were blonde. The first had a hairstyle that leapt out at him, not only because it looked so unusual...but because it also looked so familiar to him.

The other blonde was far more graceful than the other.

The third girl had dark hair, which cascaded down to her waist. She was wearing a red floor-length frock. He guessed that she had just come back from a temple or something.

The last girl was surprisingly tall for her age and had remarkably well developed muscles and chestnut brown hair.

Fargo found his voice.

"Lying on a sofa, in a classy living room, surrounded by beautiful women. What is this, my heaven?"

This was not a very clever thing to say.

Even he realised this when the girls each nailed him with a cushion.

"Okay, maybe I asked for that." He admitted, clambering out of the cushions.

"You only have to ask for seconds." The tall girl snapped.

Fargo sat up and stopped short as she loomed over him.

"Sit tight, Red. You're not going anywhere beyond the area of this room until you tell us what you've done with Amy."

"Um, can I talk to you for a sec', good looking?" Fargo leaned closer conspiratorially. "Hey, listen, Amy's just a friend okay? I know we're at a delicate stage in our relationship but there is simply no need for you to react like this to me seeing other women." He whispered loud enough for the whole room to hear.

The eyes of the others were instantly turned upon the tall girl.

"You're _seeing _this guy, Lita?" the girl with the unspeakable hair was goggle-eyed.

The girl called Lita looked like she'd been struck by lightning.

For a moment she couldn't muster a defence and the others took this as a sign of guilt.

"I can't believe you!" the dark haired girl was indignant. "The other day you swore that you weren't seeing anyone!"

Lita finally squeaked in a strangled voice.

"It's a lie!"

She glared at Fargo, who desperately tried to stifle the delighted grin that had bubbled up on his face at the unexpected result of his wind-up.

Lita's eyes filled with murder and she went for his throat.

"That will do, Lita!" a voice that could have belonged to a forty year old school mistress snapped.

Lita froze and the others breathed sighs of relief.

Fargo searched the room for the owner of the voice.

He had been sure that the girls were the only people here other than himself.

Then his eyes chanced upon the dinner table and his mind reeled.

"Ugh!" he gasped staring agog. "There's a talking cat on the table!"

A frosty silence followed.

"Actually," Luna began with more snap than usual in her voice. "One prefers to think of herself as 'humanly challenged'."

"Can we slaughter him yet?" Lita snarled eager to get on with it.

"I don't think so," Mina stepped between Fargo and Lita. "Aren't pigs a protected species?"

"Oh my, how original!" Fargo took this opportunity to get up from the sofa. "Like no-one's ever called me a pig before! My gosh, you're the most clever person I've ever met in my whole life!"

"QUIET!" Luna screeched, making everyone leap. "Thank you. Now first things first. What is your name?" she asked Fargo.

"Bobbin Threadbare. Are you my mother?" Fargo responded, determined to get the last word in.

Mina shoved Lita back as she made a lunge at Fargo and Rei and Serena caught her.

"No more fooling around, gotcha. My name's Fargo."

"Fargo?" Luna echoed.

"Fargo." Fargo established.

"You've got a bus pass in the name of 'Fargo'?" Rei didn't sound convinced.

"Never mind that. What happened at the train station? Did Amy do that to do you?"

"Luna!" Serena's voice was shocked that Luna could think such a thing.

"Serena I'm sorry but we have to look into every possibility." Luna snapped but this time there was no waspishness in it.

This exchange between Serena and Luna reminded Fargo of the seriousness of the situation.

Deciding that he'd had his fun and that it was time to take things seriously he cleared his throat for everyone's attention.

"It's okay," He assured Serena. "Amy wasn't responsible for it. Amy and I were attacked by a Sailor Scout."

Everyone was stunned at this so he plunged onward.

"She called herself Sailor Universe and she took Amy with her."

Everyone heard Luna breath out deeply as if she were casting off doubts of some kind and turned to her for explanations.

"Then it's as I feared. Sailor Universe is actually alive and she has sided against us with someone." Luna intoned like a prophet of doom.

"You knew that there was a sixth Scout all along!" Lita accused the cat.

"Yes. Artemis and I believed that she was killed during the last battle between the Moon Kingdom and the Negaverse but it seems that our predictions were wrong."

Fargo interrupted.

"That's right. While she was making her threats Sailor Universe mentioned that she was taking orders from someone. She meant Mu."

"What's the deal with YOU anyway?!" Lita's suspicion of Fargo was revived. "How do you know Amy?"

Fargo sighed. He'd hoped and prayed that no one would ask this question but now he could see that the hope had been useless.

How could he answer a question to which he didn't even know the answer himself?

Fargo breathed deeply.

"I don't know how I first met her. All I know is that I remember promising to Queen Serenity that I would protect her."

The astonished silence that followed was as solid as a wall of ice.

"You _knew_ Queen Serenity?" Luna asked after a while.

"Yup."

"Then..." Luna glanced around at the girls and then stared intensely at Fargo.

"Yup," Fargo repeated. "I know that you're the Sailor Scouts. I know that Amy is Sailor Mercury. I know everything about the Negaverse's final battle with the Moon Kingdom eons ago that left the moon a lifeless ruin. I know all there is to know you guys."

"How?" was all that Mina could manage.

"I don't know." Fargo sighed again. "The truth is that I lied to Amy. I made up my story about my past. The only thing about my past that I can remember is that promise I made to Queen Serenity. I don't even know who I really am. I just assumed the name 'Fargo'."

Fargo hesitated for just a little longer and then decided that they deserved the entire truth...so he told them.

It had all begun on the day when Amy had been discovered by Luna and Serena – as she had transformed for the first time ever, the young man calling himself Fargo had been drawn almost entranced to the window of her class-room like a bee to a honey-pot. (Or, as he put it, Ryoko to Tenchi...) From there he had seen her, watched her fight for the first time...and then return to her civilian identity and talk with Serena and Luna about what this meant for her future and that of the world.

And Fargo had KNOWN from that day on...known that it was his duty to watch over and protect her.

And he had – the Negaverse, the Negamoon Family...he'd fought them all from the shadows without ever alerting the Sailor Scouts to his involvement in their war against evil or even his existence.

Knowing it to be his duty, though not knowing WHY, Fargo had fulfilled his purpose...until the previous night, when he had been powerless to prevent Amy from being taken by evil.

Serena, Lita, Mina and Rei stared at him – it was hard to believe but perhaps it was the glimmer in those grey eyes which persuaded them to at least entertain the notion that beneath the shabby clothes and then irreverent disposition existed the soul...of a knight.

Luna shook her head.

The situation was too bizarre for words but all this had to wait right now.

Amy was in serious trouble and they had to act at once.

"Well, Fargo, or whatever your name is, listen to me. As you know Amy has been abducted by Sailor Universe. Since you seem to know more about this than any of us we could really use your help. Do you have any idea where this 'Mu' could be keeping her?" Luna asked.

"Of course," Fargo replied. "They're holed up at an upper-class hotel on the other side of town. I'll take you there. How does that sound?"

Luna, Serena, Rei, Mina and even Lita agreed, and thus was an uneasy alliance formed.

x x x x x

Back at the Hotel Splendide...

"These aren't clothes! These are pieces of yarn with a glandular condition!"

Emperor Mu looked from the brim of his white hat and raised an eyebrow.

He sat beneath a shade in a deck chair, in the courtyard of the plaza of the Hotel he had entirely hired for his sinister purposes in Tokyo, next to a swimming pool.

As he heard that shriek he looked up.

The double-doors swung open and two girls in their teens stood in the doorway.

Merula, now in everyday clothing, sighed and then spoke to Amy, who stood beside her.

"It's not as if any of your friends are here!" she smiled slyly. "Of course, you shouldn't worry about exposure in the present company."

Mu's eyes had gone straight for Amy - she was the only one in his mind right now.

As soon as he had heard her voice through the door he had awaited her arrival with ecstatic anticipation – and as she was revealed Mu was not disappointed.

Amy stood in the doorway, clad in a light blue bikini and briefs, a vision of skimpy blue material and creamy skin in the sunlight – Mu had instructed Merula to ensure that his guest would arrive 'dressed for the occasion' and he now realised just how much his Sailor Scout ally knew him since she had been able to predict where he would WANT to meet Amy.

A glance from Mu prompted Merula to administer a one-handed shove to Amy and send her staggering into the courtyard – in her other hand, incidentally, the purple-haired girl held Amy's Transformation Pen and Scout Communicator, which she had confiscated earlier.

As Amy stopped herself from falling she felt a pair of hands clutch her own, steadying her – looking up she realised that Emperor Mu had risen to his feet and was now standing over her.

Mu smiled warmly as he held her hands in his own, enjoying his close contact with her.

Amy scowled, torn between her feeling the discomfort caused by her scanty attire combined with her close proximity to this man and the discomfort that she felt just BEING anywhere near this man - she was also wearing a pair of blue sunglasses and, letting go of one of her hands, Mu reached up and removed these from her face.

Amy's mesmerising eyes of crystal blue were revealed – oh how long he had waited for the day he would be able to remain in the gaze of those beautiful eyes for all eternity!

"Princess Mercury - I am grateful to meet you again," Emperor Mu greeted her. "I am inexpressibly honoured to be back in your presence after so long."

Mu's manners were polished and very good - he needn't have bothered, however.

"Why have you brought me here?" Amy asked quietly – as she spoke the blue-haired girl looked around the courtyard, the inspection revealing that the wall that surrounded the pool were about ten feet high and perfectly smooth, impossible to climb and that the only door that led out of here was the one through which she'd just been shoved...the one currently guarded by Merula.

For the moment Emperor Mu didn't answer her – he was inspecting her even more closely, more closely than she felt she could bear and there was just the hint of a discontented frown on his face.

"This won't do," He declared with a click of his tongue – addressing Merula he added, "Here – give her this to improve it."

Merula's eyes were expressionless as her master held out his hand – a small glass bottle containing a shimmering blue liquid appeared in his open palm and he tossed it to the purple-haired girl who caught it, barely needing to TRY.

As she watched, from the corner of her eye, Merula slip the mysterious substance into her pocket, Amy felt a creeping dread...what lay in store for her?

Amy had spent the rest of the previous night, after being recaptured by Merula, brooding...then she'd received a wake-up all from her purple-haired guest who'd tossed her morning attire on the bed and told her to get dressed.

As she'd been escorted down the stairway that led down to the lobby of the Hotel Splendide – Merula's otherwise empty hand encircling her wrist in a grip of steel – Amy's plan had been to make a run for it as soon as she was back in open air. However that idea now lay in ruins as she realised that she was trapped from all sides...

"You still haven't realised, have you?" her eyes jolted back to Mu and away from whatever was inside that bottle as he shook his head. "Don't you remember the promise you made to me long, long ago? The trust you entered upon?"

"What? I've never met you before yesterday!" Amy exclaimed as she tried to pull her hand free – since Mu was seemingly unwilling to break contact however she placed her free hand on his chest and used the leverage to push herself away and out of his grip and, to her chagrin, he seemed to enjoy this.

"Oh yes you have." Mu breathed as he moved toward her once more.

Amy watched him warily.

"Don't you remember? I'm talking about the days before the fall of the Moon Kingdom. We met during the rule of Queen Serenity." As he spoke Mu moved for her hands once more...

Amy couldn't believe what she'd just heard.

"You're lying!" she protested, backing away as she noticed the subtle advancement of Mu's black-gloved hands in the direction of her own. "If you'd been alive back then you'd be..."

"Thousands of years old?" Mu laughed quietly at Amy's naïveté – he made no further move toward his 'guest' since he knew that she had nowhere to run. "Well yes, I suppose I am. Still, Princess, you made a vow to me back then."

"What vow?"

"Now that you mention it I do believe that introductions are in order...after all, you should know me, my sweet. I am - or I suppose that I should more honestly say that I once WAS - the supreme ruler of the Earth."

Amy stared at him, almost disorientated with amazement and disbelief - him, this hateful man, the ruler of Earth, the world that she and her friends had fought and suffered, even DIED in order to protect?

"Then why did you lose rule over it?" she asked, suddenly fascinated but more NEEDING than WANTING to know more.

Mu scowled and narrowed his eyes so that they became almost birdlike - now his face had the expression of a vulture that had circled above a jackal crawling painfully across the desert, dying of thirst only to be cheated of its meal as the jackal found a spring of water with its last vestiges of strength.

"It happened on the night..." he paused and decided that he'd talk about THAT particular night in a short while. "...all that you need to know is that I lost the throne when my upstart people rose up and overthrew my legions. To avoid death at the hands of the treasonous vermin whose lives, fates and deaths I had once held power over I fled to the ends of this world and hid myself for many ages. When I returned so many generations had come and gone that the memory of my glorious reign was all but forgotten and I could do nothing but watch as the era that I had dominated continued, different than any and everything that I had once known and since those responsible for my downfall had died long ago I had no hope of ever taking revenge upon them."

As he had recounted his history, the history of the Earth during the Silver Millennium, Mu had made sure not to look at Merula, who was standing a short distance away from them - on her face was a spiteful sneer and her eyes were openly mocking as they stayed fixed upon the former tyrant's face.

"Only one thing kept me sane throughout the long years...it was that one prospect which gave me the will to endure the long centuries after I lost everything." Mu concluded as he gazed at the blue-haired girl - the corners of his smirking mouth drew up revealing the points of his teeth and all of a sudden he had become the big bad wolf.

Amy had frowned as she had listened to Mu's account of the story of how he had lost his position as ruler of the Earth - something about all that she had heard seemed to be nagging away at her, something about it was significant; though what it was...

Whatever it was, it was deeply important to somebody else she knew but she just could not put her finger on it...

"What do you mean?" Amy asked quietly - whatever troubled her about the story she had just heard she forgot all about and felt a coldness in her heart as Mu looked at her, grinning like this.

Mu sighed.

"Here, let me explain everything to you...directly."

Before Amy knew what he was doing Mu touched her forehead with his gloved finger.

A feeling of being outside her body seized her.

Mu had separated her soul from her physical being and was beginning to show her visions and images.

He was unearthing Amy's past...or rather what he _desired_ for her to see of her past.

x x x x x

_Then - Countless ages ago, in the days of Queen Serenity's rule of the Moon Kingdom, the day the Negaverse declared war._

All was chaos in the royal palace.

Queen Serenity's courtiers and guests had been watching the Moon Princess dancing with the strange masked man in the blue armour and red velvet cloak a moment ago.

The next thing she knew all hell had been let loose.

The Queen's advisers Luna and Artemis came running across the dance floor crying that the Negaverse was staged to attack the Moon.

Princess Mercury stood amid the chaos that ensued as the courtiers tried to arrange the Moon's defence.

"Over here!"

It was Princess Mars who reached out grabbed Mercury and pulled her clear of the crowd.

Now Mercury stood with Mars out of the upcoming battle against the forces of the Dark Kingdom.

Although the power of Queen Serenity was great and had ensured the prosperity of the Moon Kingdom for eons Mercury could not help but feel the darkest foreboding.

The Princess Mercury knew in her heart that a formidable tragedy was playing out before her eyes...and that she was part of it.

_Two Hours Later..._

"This is really bad." The Moon Princess's voice was empty of hope.

Mercury agreed with this sentiment.

The vast enemy that was the Dark Kingdom was going all out in its attack on the Moon Kingdom.

The battle was lasting hours and the forces of the Moon lay in ruins around them.

The Seven Shadows, the Dark Queen's most powerful warriors, had devastated Queen Serenity's army.

The masked stranger who had been dancing with the Moon Princess had revealed himself to be none other than Prince Darien of Earth.

Had the circumstances been different then Mercury would have giggled at the annoyance on the Queen's face.

It was a long held custom of the Moon Kingdom that the princess was strictly not to see the man with whom she was to be married a week before the day of their wedding and Mercury was sure that Serenity's annoyance had been because Darien had taken it upon himself to come to the dance in disguise.

The Queen had long perceived how deeply he and her daughter felt about one another and Mercury was sure she would have stretched a point for them.

Not that any of this mattered here and now.

As powerful as Darien was even he seemed like falling before the might of the Negaverse.

All seemed lost...

"They are strong," Queen Serenity stated gravely. "We may not be able to last much longer."

Luna and Artemis were forced to agree...another attack and it would be all over for the Lunarian Army, the Moon Kingdom and THEM.

The Dark Queen was going to win...

Queen Serenity stood in the centre of the ruin of her kingdom and surveyed the situation.

Stood by the Queen's side was a serving-girl who was most striking – she was approaching adulthood, clad in a pale-blue frock that was laced up at the back and her hair was as sleek and dark as a raven's wing. Her dusky face was quite reserved, concealing well the worry that ate away at her as she stood with Serenity in this dark hour…her name was Emilia and she was no born native of the Inner Moon.

"My daughter is with Prince Darien confronting the Dark Queen. The Princesses of Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury are together," the Queen's brow clouded. "But what of the other two? Where are Princess Universe and Princess Charon?"

Luna and Artemis were silent. Their expressions were bitter and the queen was alarmed - she noticed also that their companion Estrella, the youngest of her advisers, was not with them.

"Well?" Serenity pressed them.

It was Artemis who fought back the pain and spoke.

"Princess Universe left the others to return to the palace and rescue a child who was trapped there." Artemis's voice was wracked with grief - He didn't speak further until Serenity prompted him, her own heart sinking into a mire of cold and grey grief. "Princess Charon and Estrella left the other princesses to venture back into the palace, believing that you were still inside. She wanted to protect us but she did not know that we were all safe and together here." Artemis took a deep breath. "Universe was crushed by falling rubble inside the palace. Charon and Estrella were caught in an explosion."

The shock in Queen Serenity's face forced Luna to speak.

"They're dead, Your Majesty," Luna's voice was drawn and tired. "All three of them."

Emilia stood as still as a statue carved from ice, her body suddenly filled with an infinitely greater coldness…her eyes were wide and filled with shock.

_Princess Universe…dead? _The dark-haired girl thought, numb with horror and disbelief – she shook her head slowly from side to side, dazed by what she had just heard and feeling the tears burning her eyes as they formed. _No…no, no, no! It can't be true…_

But the dark-haired girl could feel in her heart that it was…that Princess Universe was dead.

Emilia's friend, the Roguish Princess with whom she had experienced so much laughter and so many tears, was…gone.

And Emilia felt that she'd go on crying until she was red, raw and shrivelled up inside…and it wouldn't change a thing.

Universe was dead…and was never coming back.

Serenity's grief, however, was intruded upon even as it came to the verge of overwhelming her.

"The future seems dark, my dear Serenity."

The Queen looked around startled, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight...of HIM.

Luna and Artemis hissed.

Emperor Mu stood a short way off, looking cheerful amid the destruction going on all around them.

Emilia's eyes narrowed at the sight of him – pure loathing was etched into her hardened face as she stared at the tyrant of Earth, the man who spread pain and misery wherever he went and delighted in doing it.

Though he was aware of her presence and her hatred, Emperor Mu totally ignored the dark-haired girl – normally he would have made a mental note to think of some way to punish the lowly wench for her insolence in the near future.

However, the Moon Kingdom had no future…and so he allowed the little upstart to glower if she wished.

And Emilia _did_.

Serenity regarded him grimly - she did not like the arrogant Earthling emperor but since he was such a powerful ruler who may have been able to aid her one day she had felt obliged to invite him to the event.

The Queen cringed inwardly remembering how he had not stopped at kissing her hand when greeting her but had continued up to her shoulder.

"Mu," she greeted him coldly. "I see you are still alive."

"I have a proposition for you, Serenity." Mu moved closer.

"Oh?"

"The Moon Kingdom is doomed. That is clear. But a small few may still survive."

"How?"

"I can restore your strength by sharing a little of my own with you...with it you could send all of your charges to safety: your daughter. The Princesses. Prince Darien. Your advisers," Mu leaned closer. "On one condition."

Serenity knew what was coming.

"What condition?" her eyes narrowed even further.

"I want Princess Mercury as my bride." Mu leaned back and smiled charmingly but Serenity wasn't smiling.

Luna and Artemis gasped, as if struck by thunder.

They weren't surprised for long and their faces quickly filled with outrage.

Queen Serenity was not surprised in the least.

She had long watched the long looks Mu had bestowed on Mercury.

She knew how intensely he had been infatuated with her from the moment he had first seen her.

"My answer is no, Mu. Princess Mercury is her own person and I will never force her to marry against her will. Even to save my kingdom. Her hand in marriage is not mine to give, never was and never will be." Serenity snapped.

But the decision was taken out of her hands.

"I accept the proposal."

Everyone turned to see Princess Mercury standing a short way off.

In her face was great sadness but also resolution.

Mercury had come to find the Queen and had heard what Mu had offered.

Queen Serenity looked upon her with concern.

"Mercury! Do you know what you're saying?" she demanded.

"Yes. If this can save my friends then I have no choice in the matter." Mercury replied quietly.

"NO! You CAN'T!"

Emilia's mouth had fallen open as she stood there, staring at the Princess of Water…Princess Mercury to wed Emperor Mu??

The dark-haired girl's heart filled with horror…for she of all the people standing here knew well what would happen if Mercury went through with this. The sweet and gentle Princess would become little more than a glorified slave, who the tyrant would use and abuse as he saw fit.

Mercury's face was calm but deadened as she met Emilia's intense gaze.

"I must," she replied softly and simply. "I must, Em…I am so sorry."

And Emilia (or 'Em', as she was called by her close friends) felt fresh tears flowing down her face…for she knew that there was no dissuading the Princess of Water from this decision.

Mu smiled as he enjoyed the dark-haired girl's misery…what a sublime parting gift from him to her!

Mercury faced Mu who was on the verge of laughing with sheer satisfaction.

"I'll be your bride if you fulfill your promise." She promised to him.

"Of course you will, Princess, and of course I will." Mu gave Queen Serenity a sneering glance as he said this.

Serenity's eyes narrowed but there was nothing she could do and so she bid Mercury, Luna and Artemis farewell.

"Well, I'll be needing your assistance for this, Your Majesty." Mu wore a smug smile as he turned to face the Queen. "You see, I have the ability to generate the needed magic for the spell but you'll have to be the one who will channel it. Give me your hand."

Serenity nearly choked as the emperor extended his hand.

Not only was he forcing one of her subjects to marry him against her will and taking great pleasure in mocking her but now he was even asking her to help him do his dirty work!

Princess Mercury gave the Queen a pleading look which was not lost on her.

Breathing deeply swallowing her true feelings, which were too deep for words, Serenity took Mu's gloved hand in her own.

Mu closed his eyes and summoned his mental power.

The two connected hands crackled with golden light which became silver as it flowed into Serenity's hand and into her body.

Queen Serenity stood in an aura of white light.

When Mu opened his eyes again they saw that they were pure gold and possessed no pupils.

Not liking it one bit Serenity gathered together the power she had been given all at once and holding up her Crescent-Moon Wand she cried:

"Power of Earth! Do my will and send my daughter, Prince Darien and the rest of the Inner Galaxy Princesses along with my two advisers here to the planet Earth in the distant future!"

Almost instantly Mercury, Luna and Artemis felt light-headed as shimmering light surrounded them and the three of them were encased in magical bubbles.

On the other side of the palace the Moon Princess and the others were also enchanted this way.

"Now, you too, Emilia." Serenity bade the dark-haired girl softly as she turned her mind and magic towards her. But Em backed away, shaking her head so quickly that her hair whipped her cheeks.

"No…" she exclaimed, "No, Your Majesty, no."

"Do not be foolish…do as I say and at once!"

Emilia stood firm.

"No." She said simply.

Serenity breathed deeply.

"Emilia…I do not want you to get hurt."

"Your Majesty…I am of THIS time. I have a life HERE and NOW…and I want to LIVE it. I WILL return to Earth…MY Earth, the Earth of this time," Em said softly, "And besides…" she smiled, her eyes suddenly twinkling. "I must stay here to the end…"

"Why?"

"Well…SOMEONE had to look after you!"

Serenity blinked…and then, with a smile and a sigh, she gave in.

"Oh, very well…" she sighed, "After all, you have the power to get yourself to safety when the time comes."

Em felt a twinge of guilt…she could have enlightened the Queen on the subject of her 'power' but if she had done so then Serenity would have absolutely INSISTED upon sending her away with the others.

"Very well then…" Serenity slid her arm around the dark-haired girl's shoulders and sighed. "You shall remain with me for the time being…and, truly, I cannot think of anyone else with whom I would rather face the end of my Kingdom."

"Em…" Mercury breathed and, as their eyes met for the last time ever, Emilia felt her heart rip in half.

Both of them knew what their respective decisions meant…that they would never see each other again.

"Oh…MERCURY!"

The two young women, Princess and serving-girl, each raised their hands to touch the glowing surface of the magical bubble that held Mercury…and silently bade each other farewell for the final time.

Emperor Mu watched sourly…and silently vowed that, when he found her again, he would MAKE his bride forget about THEM.

ALL of them…just as soon as he had his Imperial Sorceress divine the whereabouts and identity of the Princess of Water in the future era.

Serenity's eyes were slits as she stared at the tyrant, knowing full well what was passing through his mind…and feeling powerless to prevent it.

As the spell kicked in, Mu bestowed Princess Mercury with a dashing grin before she vanished.

"See you soon!" He promised his future bride, blowing her a kiss with a flourish of his hand.

x x x x x

_Now - Beside the pool of the Hotel Splendide..._

Amy wanted to disbelieve it.

She wanted to throw back her head and scream to the skies that it was not true.

But she just couldn't.

Deep down in her heart Amy knew that she had just been shown her past and as much as she wanted to believe that it had just been a twisted illusion created by Mu's sick mind she knew that it was the truth.

Amy knew for sure that Mu's claim on her was real...that she had made a serious promise back then and was now bound to keep it.

Mu had been watching Amy's changing expressions as he had shown her the visions from her past with intense satisfaction.

Shock, disbelief, horror and finally mute acceptance had crossed her face one after the other.

Mu fixed Amy with his golden eyes.

Amy felt like a rabbit that was about to be bitten by a snake. Aware of the deadly danger but helpless to do anything.

"You pledged yourself to me that day," Mu's voice was gentle but he felt deep pleasure in spelling out Amy's fate for her. "Now I'm calling you in. You're mine, Princess Mercury, MINE."

These words drove home the truth to the shocked and stunned girl.

Maybe this was her destiny...her fate, to be the bride of this tyrant - she had done this to save the lives of her friends and she did not regret it but now that the time had come it seemed to overwhelm her.

Amy had thought of her future many times. She had made so many plans for herself but now all that was gone.

Her life was over.

Amy's breath shook but she stood firm as she accepted what she was convinced was her fate – sensing the diminishing of her defiance Mu narrowed his eyes a touch as they glowed softly.

The air around Amy shimmered and suddenly the blue-haired girl was clad in a magnificent bustier gown that was made of dark blue silk, strikingly similar to a starless midnight sky, its chest encrusted with jewels and a long, wide slit climbing up the side of her leg – she instinctively knew that this was to be her wedding-gown and just as instinctively she HATED it.

"Mine..." whispered Emperor Mu with a wolfish grin. "...now and FOREVER."

x x x x x

_Later..._

It was midnight and the stars were out.

Fargo, Serena, Mina, Rei and Lita stood on the roof of Rei's grandpa's temple... preparing for the long night ahead.

As one the girls spread out their arms, each holding their Transformation Pens in their hands.

"Moon Crystal Power! Make Up!"

"Mars Star Power! Make Up!"

"Jupiter Star Power! Make Up!"

"Venus Star Power! Make Up!"

In an instant the girls disappeared in a pink glow and were replaced by Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus.

The Scouts stood in the night, ready to risk their lives for the sake of their friend.

Fargo had watched the mass transformation blankly.

Now he turned his face, which was almost unrecognisable because of the seriousness in it, into the night.

He would have quite liked the wind to have blown his hair back over his head but at the moment the wind was fooling about with some leaves on the street below so there was nothing doing.

"Okay, let's go rescue Amy!"


	7. Sailor Venus vs Sailor Universe

Chapter Six: Sailor V vs. Sailor Universe! 

_So...here I am again._ Thought Amy as she lay on her side, her eyes staring bleakly at the wall straight ahead even though she didn't really SEE it, in her darkest hour.

Amy was lying in her bikini (which she hadn't changed out of even though there was a whole wardrobe of clothes at her disposal...) on the luxurious bed in the very room that she'd been placed in before, on one of the upper floors of the hotel – she was again wearing the Anti-Planet Power handcuffs. Mu hadn't ordered for this but it had apparently given Merula great pleasure to strip away the small liberty of the use of her hands so that had been that.

After the shocking revelation, Amy had spent the rest of the day lying beside the pool...brooding. Her wedding gown had faded from her body as Mu had departed to see the arrangements for the coming next day but Amy knew that she would soon be clad in it again – for the last thing that Mu had told her was that after all these centuries he would wait no longer.

Their wedding was to take place at the first light of morning...

The room was murky since she hadn't seen any reason at all to switch on the light after she'd been brought here and, once left alone, had fallen to the spot in which she now lay as her legs had suddenly ceased to function.

Amy was alone in the dark and all that she saw waiting for her in the future was the fate that she had agreed to embrace in exchange for the salvation of her friends – that moment, creeping nearer and nearer towards its arrival as the seconds, minutes dragged by, was darker than this room, darker than shadow. The room that she'd been left in to await the dawn and her 'big moment' was nothing compared to the feeling of being chained to the terrible fate that she had brought upon herself and even now was dragging her deeper into darkness.

The room of her imprisonment was practically invisible to Amy as she lay between sleep and wakefulness - straying nearer and nearer toward the border of dreams.

In her despair-filled mind she saw Emperor Mu sitting on an ornate throne, a decanter sitting on one of the shiny wooden arms as he held a glass of blood-red wine out before him, studying the shimmering liquid within as he turned it around and around in his black-gloved fingers. THEN it seemed to her that his eyes tilted up from the glass and met hers own – as his eyes glowed sickeningly Emperor Mu grinned and raised his glass, toasting his bride-to-be.

Amy shivered and he was gone, his image rippling and disappearing from her mind like a reflection in dark water...and in his place she saw FARGO. In contrast to Mu his body slouched as he sat in the chair he'd lazed in during their chat back at his apartment, everything about his body strangely droopy and defeated...as he slowly raised his head and looked directly at her, seeming to wait for her to say something, Amy thought that his eyes were the saddest things she'd ever seen.

Amy closed her eyes, sealing herself in her own quiet and empty world – a world where she did not have to face Mu's triumphant grin as he claimed her as his or Fargo's accusing gaze as she gave in to the tyrant. She refused to cry but somehow that only made her feel all the more wretched – as if she were depriving herself of her tears as well as her freedom and future by surrendering herself to the ex-ruler of Earth.

It was as she desperately tried to block out everything and everyone that Amy heard it – the sound outside her door. A faint slapping sound as if somebody was hitting the floor with a wet fish again and again unceasingly.

Amy opened her eyes and slowly pushed herself up, her eyes now alive again in the murk as she stared over at the door – slowly filling with nervousness.

Footsteps? She thought as she waited tensely for something, ANYTHING to happen. They don't sound like Merula's...but they don't sound like HIS either.

The sound that had alerted her to the presence of another had stopped but the quiet that followed in its wake was somehow even more unnerving – and then, just as Amy was beside herself with apprehension, the doorknob started to TURN. Amy sat up, sliding to the edge of the bed and staying there as she strained to LISTEN – a low sound like MUTTERING could now be heard as whoever was outside her room seemed to struggle with the knob.

A prickling sensation ran all the way up Amy's body like a current of electrical fear – she door was locked, she reminded herself, there was no way...

And just as her panic was peaking the knob, which had been quivering, suddenly stopped in place, the hand on the other side evidently freezing – and then it turned back as whoever had been holding it suddenly let go.

Amy stared at the door, her deep nervousness flipping over to bewilderment – who WAS that? Merula and Mu were the only two people in this Hotel...

...weren't they?

Amy came out of her thoughts with a jolt as she heard footsteps approaching – PROPER footsteps, a detail that filled her with a relief that shook her body.

Even Merula would be welcome company after THAT...

And even as she thought that the door opened and Merula herself walked into the room – the purple-haired girl brought in a tray with a plate of food on it and a smirk.

"Lunchtime! And how is the bride-to-be?" Merula teased, placing the tray down next to Amy.

"But it's the ungodly hours of the morning!" Amy blurted, indignation taking place of her defiance for the moment.

Merula grinned.

"If you have any complaints about the quality of service then please don't hesitate to register them with my secretary."

"Oh, is THAT who was outside a second ago?" Amy asked innocently as the purple-haired chuckled and turned to walk out of the room again.

Merula stopped and turned to stare at her.

"Huh?" she asked, her face baffled to the point of sincerity that was impossible to fake.

"Oh – you don't know?" Amy continued, moving to place her hands on her hips and then, after remembering that her situation prevented her from performing that smug gesture, choosing instead to fold her arms over her chest and smirk. "You aren't the only one in service to my future husband Merula...whoever else is here was outside this door just a little while ago. You REALLY don't know WHO?"

Merula just stared at her – and then after a while she managed to surprise Amy yet again.

"You were probably just having a bad dream." She said gently, the tone seeming odd as it came into her voice. "I'm the only one here – c'mon honey, eat up and then take a cat-nap."

Amy ignored the food completely and focused instead on Merula, narrowing her eyes – the purple-haired girl was such an enigma to her, ever since they'd first met she had been trying in vain to work her out.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly.

"Doing...? Oh, you mean all of this?" Merula replied. "Believe me Amy, it's not personal."

"You're lying," Amy cut in immediately. "You're a Sailor Scout. Why are you following the orders of someone like Mu?"

Merula shrugged.

"Emperor Mu saved my life in the Moon Kingdom. I owe my life to him and am sworn to him unto death. Besides, who else would I work for? Should I run around after that pompous moggy like you and the others?"

Amy couldn't think of anything else to say after this.

She was struggling with two problems at once.

One was fighting not to agree with Merula's evaluation of Luna. It was a real effort; after all, Amy had been given enough reason to agree after her last meeting with the black cat...

But the second was one that she just couldn't figure out.

In the vision Mu had shown her of her past Amy was certain that she had heard Artemis say that Princess Universe was dead along with Princess Charon and Estrella, the third feline advisor of Queen Serenity.

Merula's very presence here now was a contradiction to this.

How had Sailor Universe survived and what had happened to make her the way she was now?

Merula smirked suddenly as if remembering something.

"Oh, THAT'S right..." the small bottle of blue liquid reappeared from her pocket. "Time for your medicine, your Empress-Ship!"

Amy shuddered, feeling as if a million insects were creeping over her barely covered body...but the word of the man she was to marry was law as far as she was concerned and, slowly, she reached for the bottle in Merula's palm.

Merula watched carefully and, once she was sure that Amy would not be able to spit the potion out, took back the now empty bottle which disappeared back into her pocket.

Amy shivered as she felt her body tingle all over...WHAT had she just drunk?

Merula was now bored with the conversation and turned to leave the room.

"Wait," Amy snapped, forgetting her discomfort as her only means of obtaining information walked toward the door. "You haven't answered my question!"

"Question?" Merula turned to face Amy again. "What question was that?"

"Why do you hate me so much?" Amy asked simply.

Merula's face twitched and wavered for a brief moment. For the shortest of seconds Amy thought that she could finally see past the mask and to the girl beneath.

But then the weakness was gone and Merula's resolution returned.

"You're an idealistic little know-it-all!" she snapped. "That's reason enough for me!"

"That makes you hate me enough to betray the Scouts?" Amy was disbelieving.

Once more a weakness tugged at Merula's smirk. Then it was gone again and the smirk reasserted itself.

"Ah, I get it! I understand it now!" Merula laughed and sneered. "You want me to help you escape. That's the reason behind all this, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't leave here if I could. I made a promise and I have to keep it. Even to someone like Mu." Amy said quietly.

"The Scouts aren't coming for you, babes. They don't give a damn about you and you'll see that when you realise that they've turned their backs on you."

With that, Merula spun on her heel and left the room, leaving Amy on her own to get as much sleep as she possibly could after that.

_...Good,_ Amy thought sadly as she picked up a bright green apple from the tray, sleep being the furthest thing from her mind as she gazed at her reflection in its curves before she bit into it.

Just for once she decided to take a leaf out of Serena's book and take her mind off her troubles by eating...

x x x x x

"This is the place, girls," Fargo pointed at the hotel at the bottom of the street. "That's the place."

Fargo slowly cancelled his levitation spell and dropped onto the roof with the Scouts.

The Sailor Scouts stared at the large building in the near distance – the grand name painted above the doorway was 'The Hotel Splendide'...the Sailor Scouts were impressed.

"Man, that looks like a real top-class place!" Sailor Mars, said her eyes full of awe. "It'd take a decade's worth of temple donations to get reservations there!"

"That's Amy's luck all over!" Sailor Jupiter agreed. "Trust her to get kidnapped by an enemy with money to burn!"

Fargo's eyes had gleamed as he had listened to all this.

"Well if that's what you girls like in a man...I have a few yen flying about the place, ya know!" he dug some spare change out of his pocket and threw it over the roof. "See?"

Jupiter rolled her eyes but didn't reply.

"How do we get in?" Sailor Venus interjected hurriedly.

"One of us ought to go in from the back," Fargo decided. "I'll go first and call..."

"No way!" Jupiter snapped, grabbing him by the sleeve and dragging him round to face her. "You're staying here where I can keep an eye on you, chumly!"

Fargo glared at her, so angry that he had actually been rendered speechless.

"I'll go!" Venus cut in again before an argument could break out. "I'll contact you with my communicator when the coast is clear."

"Go for it, Sailor V!" Sailor Moon approved.

The other two Scouts as well as Fargo nodded and with that Sailor Venus began to make her way toward the hotel.

x x x x x

"Merula! Come here!"

Merula stopped in the middle of the stairway as Mu appeared on the balcony and called to her – though her eyes didn't show it she inwardly seethed at being summoned like a dog.

"Yes, Emperor Mu?" Merula asked, walking back up to the balcony.

"I just used my telepathy to learn the thoughts of those interfering cats and the Sailor Scouts. They are on their way here at this very moment!" Mu told her.

Merula's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" she demanded.

Mu's eyes blazed into their golden glow as his anger flared up.

"Never question me again!" he hissed.

Merula lowered her eyes, acting like she was frightened at having aroused her master's wrath.

"Your pardon, Emperor Mu." Merula whispered. "I was only..."

"We'll discuss this later, Merula. Right now Sailor Venus is trying to enter the building through the back way. Take care of her."

Mu turned and departed.

Merula breathed hard as her heart throbbed with concentrated rage as she watched him go and her heart beat returned to normal.

"Butt-wipe..." she muttered under her breath as she watched, her eyes narrowed, as HIS back retreated from view.

_Soon you won't have to put up with that any longer,_ she promised herself grimly, _soon..._

Then she spread out her arms and fingers.

"Universal Planet Power! Make Up!"

There was a crackle and the room was plunged into darkness as Merula transformed - as before her dress and shoes faded away and were replaced by a sailor shirt, black skirt, gloves and high-heels and her hair was twisted into a long braid behind her.

Sailor Universe braced herself and made her way downstairs.

x x x x x

"Yep! There she is!"

Sailor Moon, Fargo and the other two remaining Scouts were gathered around the Planet Power Detector.

One moment they had been watching Sailor Venus's progress and the next their attention was claimed by a second bleep on the small glass screen.

"That's Sailor Universe." Fargo nodded. "Sailor Mercury's reading would have been blue. That one's black."

"I sure hope Sailor Venus can handle her!" Sailor Mars breathed.

Fargo drew out a bottle of something fizzy and opening it he took a long tug.

Noticing the disgust on Sailor Jupiter's face Fargo grinned.

"Care for a drink, sweet thing?" He offered.

A minute later Fargo was leaning back heavily against the wall rubbing his bleeding nose with one hand and clawing at his soaking head as the now empty bottle lay on the roof.

"That's a no then?" he called after Jupiter, who had gone to the other side of the roof-top.

x x x x x

The air rustled through Sailor Venus's hair as she stood on the wall overlooking the pool courtyard.

The place was totally devoid of people.

Or so it seemed.

_It looks safe enough_, she thought.

Sailor Venus dropped from the wall and landed lightly in the courtyard.

No-one seemed to hear her so Venus stepped toward the double-doors at the far side of the courtyard, feeling pleased with her success...

"Hello, Sailor Venus. It's been too long!"

Venus spun around and saw Sailor Universe sneering at her from a few yards away.

Sailor V's mouth was agape as she stared, still hardly believing that there was a sixth Scout.

"I wish I could say that it's good to see you again but that's just because I'm an incurable liar." Universe continued.

"You might be a Scout but if you're determined to harm our friend then I have no choice!" Venus declared. "Let's rock!"

Universe grinned delighted to get the chance to fight a Scout she didn't have to hold back against.

"Venus Love Chain!" Sailor V cried, creating a chain of energy which she whirled in the air like a nunchucka.

"Galactic Star Whip!" Sailor U called creating a similar chain.

The two Sailor Scouts lunged at one another with their energy whips.

As the two energy chains connected there was a brilliant flash of light and the air crackled with energy.

Far away on the roof of the Hino Shrine Luna and Artemis screwed up their eyes to avoid being blinded by the burst of light which lit up the sky.

"The Scouts are really going for broke out there!" Artemis remarked. "But hey...to think that for all these years EMPEROR MU was alive and hiding out somewhere on Earth...even while Queen Beryl was trying to take over from the North Pole!"

The cats had both silently agreed, when confronted with the name of their unexpected enemy by Fargo (ANOTHER surprise...), that they would not tell the Scouts about Mu's true identity since they'd both felt sure that it would cause them great turmoil to know that their world had once been ruled by such evil and that the greatest source of that evil had now returned.

"I hope Amy is alright." Luna murmured.

Artemis looked over at his fellow feline, wondering if he had detected just a faint trace of guilt in her voice.

"Yeah," A serious note entered Artemis's voice. "But you know Luna, that was a very stupid thing you did to her yesterday."

"I know," Luna whispered, remembering with shame the hurt she had seen caused by her in Amy's eyes. "I only hope she can forgive me..."

x x x x x

Ducking a lash from Universe's Star Whip Sailor V made a quick cut at her leg.

Sailor Universe growled in pain as the Venus Love Chain curled around her leg and tugged it, causing her to drop the Star Whip.

"Retribution Thunder Shot!" Universe cried striking the ground with her clenched fist.

Before Venus could do anything the ground around her was electrified and she gave a scream of pain and dropped her chain.

Both breathing heavily Sailor V and Sailor Universe stood in a face off.

"We're even, Universe!" Venus declared.

Universe just smirked.

"Ah, not quite, Sailor V! Watch!"

She held out an outstretched hand which crackled with Planet Power.

"Hell Fire!"

Sailor V jumped back as the air became scorching hot and she had to make a real effort to stay on her feet.

This was the chance Universe needed.

"Inescapable Ensnare!" Universe cried.

Before she had time to move a pair of Anti-Planet Power handcuffs surrounded Sailor V's wrists!

These had been created with Sailor Mercury in mind but they worked just as well with Sailor Venus.

As her Planet Power faded Sailor V felt herself transform back into Mina.

With a devilish grin Universe gathered together all her energy at once to finish off the powerless and defenceless Mina with a Hell Fire blast...

_- No, Universe! -_

She stopped as she heard Mu's voice in her head.

"Emperor Mu, we agreed..." she protested.

_- Do not slay Sailor Venus! That is my order! -_

Scowling, Universe dropped her energy and turned to face Mina.

"You're not taking me anywhere!" the blonde girl snapped.

"C'mon! Shift your butt!" Sailor Universe growled, grabbing her by the wrist and beginning to drag her away - a strange smirk on her face that Mina didn't notice as she tried to dig her heels into the smoothly tiled ground.

_Good ol' Venus...ever-spunky!_


	8. The Truth Revealed

Chapter Seven: The Truth Revealed

"Venus is gone!"

Fargo snapped out of his reverie.

One moment he had been rubbing his bloodied nose and the next he had joined the Sailor Scouts, who were gathered around the Planet Power Detector.

Looking at the small screen Fargo realised that Sailor Moon was right.

For the last few seconds the Scouts had been watching as Sailor V and Sailor Universe's PP readings had soared and now they were taken aback.

Suddenly Sailor V's power reading had faded until it was zero and her blip had vanished from the screen.

"What happened?" Sailor Moon whispered, sounding frightened.

"There could be a number of reasons," Fargo spoke up. "Sailor V could have just transformed back into her alter-ego; or she could just be so deep inside the building that the machine can't reach her; or..."

Fargo trailed off as he realised that what he had been about to say wasn't really what they wanted to hear.

An icy chill ran up the Scouts' spines.

"Let's go!" Sailor Moon burst out suddenly as she snapped at the prospect of losing another friend. "NOW!"

x x x x x

In his inner-sanctum Mu grinned in satisfaction.

For the last five minutes, after giving Merula her orders, Mu had been using his telepathy to listen in on Fargo and the Sailor Scouts.

Now he was glad he had taken the trouble.

"They are coming. But I'll be waiting." Mu spoke aloud, rising to his feet and opening his golden eyes.

Against three Sailor Scouts there was a chance that even Sailor Universe would not be enough to stop them.

Mu decided that he would deal with them personally.

x x x x x

Amy looked up, startled as the door was flung open – the next moment she jumped to her feet as Mina was shoved into the room.

Sailor Universe stood in the doorway with a grim look on her face.

"You were lucky! Don't think that Mu will always be around to save your hash!" she snapped at Mina.

Mina jumped back to her feet and lunged for the door but Sailor Universe slammed it shut in her face.

Amy and Mina heard the key turn in the lock.

"You shouldn't have come, Mina." Amy whispered.

Mina turned to stare at her friend and she was struck to see the guilt in her face.

"What are you talking about? And what are you wearing?" Mina stared blankly at Amy's scantily clad body.

Amy closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

She didn't deserve friendship like this.

Amy had sold herself out, but now, because of her, Mina was in it as well.

"It's a long story." Amy replied as they sat down on the bed.

"Well save it for later," Mina cut in. "Listen, all we have to do is wait for the Scouts..."

"The others are here?" Amy cried, leaping to her feet in dismay.

"What's wrong with you?" Mina demanded, getting up. "You're acting totally weird!"

"You don't understand! You have to use your communicator to tell the other Scouts to go before it's too late!"

"I can't. That turn-coat Scout took my communicator and Transformation Pen. But that isn't the point!" Mina snapped. "What do you mean, if you mean anything?"

Amy breathed deeply again and she started to tell her story...

And as she sat staring at her friend, listening and 'ooh'-ing and 'ahh'-ing from time to time, Mina felt herself frown involuntarily – it seemed to her that there was something about her fellow Sailor Scout that had changed since she had last seen her. Some aspect of the Mercurian that had not been so striking before now seemed to stand out...but the thing was that Mina could not quite put her finger on what on Earth it could be.

x x x x x

The hotel doors, they discovered, were locked and barred from within.

Fargo gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Stand back!" he told the Scouts, who stood behind him as he braced himself and prepared to shoulder-charge the doors. "This is gonna take muscle..."

A second later the double-doors were hurled open and crashed into the walls inside the lobby.

"You were right..." Sailor Jupiter grinned at Fargo, who blinked and gaped as she cracked her knuckles and urged the other Scouts on with an inclination of her head. "...it DID."

Fargo walked into the hotel lobby flanked by the Sailor Scouts.

A quick glance around told Fargo that no one was around in the darkened hall.

"We're going up!" Sailor Mars pointed to the stairs leading up to the balcony.

"Hold on! I'll see if I can find them." Sailor Jupiter drew the PP detector out of her shirt.

Before she could activate it though a small spark dropped from above and landed on it.

With a cry Sailor Jupiter dropped the tiny machine as it caught fire and was burnt away into nothing.

"Now _that _was fun!"

They all looked up to see Sailor Universe standing on the balcony, her finger pointed at the smoking remains of the detector.

"Greetings! Welcome to my humble lodgings, Sailor Scouts!"

Turning his head to the right Fargo jumped as he saw Mu standing on the other side of the balcony.

"Why don't we all have a cosy little chat?" Mu whispered as Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter whirled around to look at him. "I think that would be very nice, don't you?"

x x x x x

"That's awful!" Mina exclaimed as Amy concluded her tale of how she had agreed to be Mu's bride.

"I know," Amy whispered. "Mina...now do you see why I have to do this?"

"That guy has no right to do this to you!" her friend protested.

"Yes he does. I promised him and he's holding it over me."

"Amy, you don't have do to anything you don't want!"

"I do! Don't you understand? Mu made a bargain with me. I can't break my word! If I did I'd never be able to look at myself in the mirror again!" Amy cried.

"And if you do your life will be ruined forever!" Mina retorted.

"I have no choice! And anyway it's happening first thing in the morning." Amy whispered, closing her eyes again.

Mina shook her head slowly.

Amy had lost it and she was just going to have to get her out of here herself.

But how could she do that without the power to become Sailor Venus?

x x x x x

"I watched as the three of you all marched right up to the front door in formation." Mu remarked as he reclined on the balcony and looked down at the Sailor Scouts. "Very brave. Very colourful!" then his tone changed and as he smiled Sailors Moon, Mars and Jupiter suddenly felt cold inside. "And very, VERY foolhardy." the Emperor smirked mockingly at them.

"Tell us where our friends are!" Sailor Moon demanded.

The Emperor just chuckled insolently.

"You think you can give me orders? The Moon Kingdom was destroyed eons ago." He taunted her. "To me you're just another lowly rat!"

Sailor Moon gasped, unable to believe that anyone would have the nerve to speak to her like this.

"Your supreme arrogance has always been your supreme weakness!" Fargo snapped.

Mu looked at Fargo, noticing him for the first time.

"Ahhh Fargo! Have you come to say a few last words to my future bride before her wedding day?" Mu sneered.

Fargo's eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?" Sailor Mars demanded.

"He means Amy," Fargo said quietly. "She agreed to marry him many years ago to save your lives on the Moon."

"What?!" the three Scouts were stunned.

"Fargo, although he is the biggest loser who ever existed in the history of the galaxy, is quite right." Mu agreed. "Our big day is tomorrow. Any of you care to be her maid of honour? I'm sure it would mean a lot to her!"

"I don't think that's gonna be necessary!" Sailor Moon snapped in reply.

"It's too late Mu," Fargo dropped into his fighting stance. "You can't screw with our heads. Let's go! I'll take you and your lap-dog out here and now!"

"Before we do that...please, grant me a boon," Mu raised his hand for a chance to speak. "Let me use my telepathy to unearth your past...or more accurately the one and only interesting part of it, which would be the last day of the Moon Kingdom."

"You must think that I'm the biggest fool who ever lived!" Fargo sneered. "You'd fry my brains the moment you touched them!"

"No, tempting as that would be, I just want to find out why Queen Serenity chose a diseased rat like you to be Princess Mercury's knight." Mu explained.

Fargo stopped.

Mu was offering him the chance to find out all he wanted to know about himself.

Finally he could find out what had led up to him making his promise to Queen Serenity.

Of course he had no guarantee that it wasn't just a trick...

"Go for it." Fargo said.

Mu's eyes glowed once more as he levitated Fargo into the air with his immense mental powers.

Now that Fargo was on eye-level with him Mu reached out to touch his forehead.

The Emperor glanced at the Scouts standing below.

"I'll let the three of you, your other friend, the bride to be and those flea-ridden cats see as well. No reason for you all to miss the fun."

As he spoke Mu contacted Sailor Universe telepathically.

_- Get ready! -_

Sailor Universe grinned and waited for her chance.

Mu touched Fargo's forehead, taking the minds of the boy, the Scouts, Amy, Mina, Luna and Artemis, who were far away at the temple, and also himself back to the final day of the war between the Negaverse and the Moon Kingdom.

x x x x x

_Then – The day of the Moon Kingdom's destruction, a few seconds before Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal to vanquish the Dark Queen and the Moon Kingdom was destroyed... _

"Your Majesty, you're alive! I can't believe it!" The boy cried.

Emilia's eyes were curious as she gazed at the boy who had just scrambled over a fallen pillar – she remembered him from the party and it amazed her that HE'D managed to survive this hell for so long.

"Indeed…for the present." Serenity replied with a weary smile on her face as she surveyed him.

Queen Serenity wished she could feel as glad about it as he did.

Serenity knew that she would not be alive in another few minutes.

Adding to the tragic deaths of Charon, Universe and Estrella as well as her own close death was the knowledge that she had sent Princess Mercury to Earth to be forcibly married to an unspeakable tyrant.

In her despair, as she had watched Mu follow the escapees to Earth, Serenity had discovered something.

When Mu had channelled some of his power into her he hadn't realised that he had left some of the energy inside her.

Now seeing the teenage boy standing there amid the rubble Queen Serenity remembered it and an idea flashed through her mind.

"I'm glad to see you are alive," Serenity began. "I would like to ask a large favour of you."

She had recognised him as soon as she had seen him.

At the dance the day the war had begun she had found him engaged in a scuffle with the royal guards, who had caught him trying to gatecrash the dance.

In a moment of the renowned kindness that had made her one of the most loved rulers of her time Serenity had asked the guards to stop and had allowed the teenager to come to the event.

Over the evening she had found her gaze drifting over to him with genuine amusement as he had gotten mindlessly drunk and made plays for most of the Princesses.

Princess Charon had merely pretended to be watching the dancing too intently to notice him.

Princess Universe had smirked and, taking him by the arm and turning him around, had sent him on his way in the opposite direction.

Then he had spied Princess Mercury who had been standing away from her friends in a secluded corner feeling overwhelmed.

As Serenity watched he had crossed the dance floor to her and asked her to dance with him in the blink of an eye.

Naturally Princess Mercury had let her shyness take control and insisted that she could not dance.

The traveller, however, had brushed her protests aside and reaching out and taking her hand in his own he had led the Princess into the middle of the dance floor.

Mercury had turned a gorgeous pink but had allowed him to lead her through a few minor dance numbers.

As Queen Serenity had watched in astonishment Mercury's pace had started to pick up in grace and confidence until she and the young traveller were dancing as if she had been practising to do so her whole life.

Serenity had NEVER seen the Mercurian Princess enjoy herself like that at an event.

Oblivious to what the Queen was thinking the boy spoke.

"Of course! You only have to ask, Your Majesty!"

"You don't know the acute size of the favour I am about to ask you. It would require a great sacrifice on your part," Serenity began. "Please listen, for we have very little time left. Princess Mercury is going to be forced to marry Emperor Mu."

The traveller's single gasp of horror woke the echoes of the ruined hall.

"But...she can't! He's..." he faltered, recalling the tales he had heard of Mu's tyranny. "She just _can't_!"

"I know, and I won't allow it. But there is nothing that I can do about it myself for soon I must use the Silver Crystal to destroy the Dark Queen, though it will cost me my life. But _you_ can stop it from happening."

"How can I help?" he asked incredulously.

"By preventing the marriage from being an honourable one," Serenity placed her hands on his shoulders. "I want you to agree to marry Princess Mercury!"

His mouth was agape as he realised what she'd said.

Just as thunderstruck by this totally unexpected plan was Emilia who stared from the Queen to the boy…Princess Mercury, marry HIM??

The Queen bit her lip. She knew that she was taking liberties with the futures of both Mercury and this boy but she just knew that any husband would be better for her than Mu.

"There is another thing. When one marries a Princess his soul becomes interwined with hers and he becomes unable to leave her planet for the rest of his life. If you agree to do this you would be trapped on planet Earth forever." her eyes were pleading. "I know that no one has the right to ask for this much of anyone and I know just how much you would lose in doing this but I am begging you. Not as a queen but for Princess Mercury's future. Will you do this for her?"

For a split second he turned it all over in his mind.

His freedom was the thing he cherished the most, and if he lost that...

But the thought of Princess Mercury being trapped like a canary in a golden cage by that terrible Emperor was far worse.

No contest.

"I will, my Queen!" he vowed, standing tall before her. "I promise to you faithfully that I will protect the Princess Mercury from Emperor Mu, even if it costs me my very life!"

Suddenly, Emilia strode forward – as she stood in front of him, hands clenched, her eyes gleamed with the intensity of her emotion.

"You'd better treat her right…" she said, her voice trembling. "…or I'll come back and haunt you, I swear!"

He nodded his head, eyes wide…he completely believed that she would.

And Emilia now felt a surge of intense emotions, joy and sorrow, hope and fear…but, conflicting as they all were, they were good simply because she could feel them again.

"Thank you," Serenity whispered, her eyes shining with gratitude and relief. "From the bottom of my soul, I thank you, gallant one. The Princess Mercury is now your bride. Protect her well. Now go, for I have much work to do."

That brought what she had said about using the Imperium Silver Crystal back to him in a rush.

"NO!" he exclaimed stepping forward impulsively. "If you use the Crystal then..."

He did not finish, didn't need to – knowing what he was feeling, for she felt it too, Emilia bit her lip and wept silently.

Filled with unbearable sorrow about what was soon to come…and absolutely powerless to prevent or change it.

"I know," Serenity nodded her head, a look of sorrow etched in her flawless face. "I will die. But it is just the way things are in the world. Hopes die. An end comes. Do not feel sad for me, for those who live all must die one day."

"NO! I don't care if you are the Queen! There's got to be another way! You just can't die, Queen Serenity!" he cried desperately.

Serenity's eyes were calm as she put her pale hand on his shoulder and he fell silent, calmed by her comforting touch.

"Do you remember what I told you in the garden?" she asked gently. "I said that when I became Queen I knew that I would have to put the lives of all who I rule my kingdom to protect before my own. And that is why I do not feel sad that I will soon die, for I know that I have not failed in my trust and duty. That my life has not been in vain. My daughter, as well as the princesses, Prince Darien and you too will be safe. So please...don't say a word. Just live. That's all I can say to you."

There was a great sadness in the boy's eyes but she knew that he accepted what she said and felt relieved that his young heart would not always be burdened by what she must now do.

Spreading her arms and closing her eyes Queen Serenity summoned the last of the energy that Emperor Mu had given to her.

Perfect! There was just enough left for her to send him to Earth.

"Power of Earth! Heed my wish one final time and send this man of pure virtue to the planet Earth to join the other children of the Silver Millennium!" she whispered, this time with hope as she did what she must for the sake of all that she had ever cared for and protected.

A magical bubble formed around the boy, ready to take him on his journey.

Queen Serenity planted a warm kiss on his forehead and then sent him on his way to Earth.

As she watched him disappear into the darkness of the starry sky a solitary tear sparkled in the beautiful light as it travelled down her pale cheek.

And, unbidden and yet not unwelcome, Em slid her arm around the Queen's shoulders…there was no-one else now.

x x x x x

_Now – The lobby of the Hotel Splendide..._

"So _that's_ what happened..." Fargo murmured his eyes closed.

"Amy's married to _you_?!" Rei screeched, staring at Fargo as if her eyes would fall out of her head.

"Guess so from what we just saw." Fargo replied.

"No!"

Mu's eyes burned with mindless psychotic fury as he thought about what he had just seen – he had broken off from his telepathic sifting through Fargo's memories. The Emperor had seen quite enough...whatever he had suspected to see, he had never dreamt of what he now had seen!

Mu felt as if he were going mad...indeed, something snapped inside. "I could kill you here effortlessly." he hissed at Fargo venomously. "And who would know that I had taken another man's woman? After all, who will be any the wiser?"

"You dirty rat!" Lita exclaimed.

"Who will stop me? You three little girls?"

"We may be female, buster, but between the three of us we have more power than you credit us with!" Serena declared.

"Oh, really?" Mu laughed out loud. "Maybe you ought to take a good look at yourselves."

Glancing down at themselves the girls realised that they had reverted back to Serena, Rei and Lita!

Around each of their wrists were a pair of the same Anti-Planet Power handcuffs that held both Amy and Mina.

Sailor Universe laughed.

It had been an easy job for her to cast her Inescapable Ensnare spell on the three while they had been in the trance with Mu.

"You filthy skank!" Lita shrieked.

"A skank I may be but clever I am!" Sailor Universe grinned.

"If I ever get out of this I'll burn every inch of your dirty hide!" Rei swore.

Mu laughed mockingly as he stood over the defeated Scouts in his hour of triumph.

"Know now that I have now defeated all of you. Come the morning you will kneel before me in chains as I take the Princess Mercury as my own."

"No," Fargo spoke with a voice filled with steel as he finally opened his eyes. "You will not."

x x x x x

Luna and Artemis had seen everything as well.

Mu had also included in their vision the same events he had shown Amy about her promise to him.

"I understand," Luna whispered, closing her eyes as her entire body ached with guilt and remorse. "I understand at last. Amy, I'm sorry. I am truly, truly sorry."

Amy and Mina had also experienced Fargo's past and Mina was breathless with excitement.

"You see, Amy? Queen Serenity tricked him!" Mina cried. "You see? You don't have to marry Mu at all now, promise or no promise!"

"I..." Amy blushed as she thought of what had just been revealed to her. "That is...I..."

"You owe him nothing! He can't marry you if you're already married!" her friend repeated.

Amy shook her head slowly from side to side.

She had been resigned to the fact that she would be forcibly married at day break.

Now she knew that she did not have to marry the Emperor because she was married to Fargo, of all people!

She did not know what to think.

"C'mon. Lets get out of here." Mina resumed.

"How?" Amy stammered.

Mina grinned.

"I've been thinking about that! I've got a hairpin in my back pocket. See if you can get it and..."

x x x x x

"You _dare_ to oppose my will?" Mu roared at Fargo. "Insolent peasant! I could crush you like the worm you are!"

"Nothing like blowing your own trumpet." Fargo retorted.

All the while he was thinking about the memory that had finally been restored to him.

The dance in the royal palace of the Moon Kingdom...meeting Princess Mercury...dancing with her...his promise to Queen Serenity...arriving on Earth...meeting Amy...

He finally understood everything and, tuning his eyes heavenward, he spoke more to himself than to anyone else.

"Queen Serenity, I understand at last. I'm sorry that it took me so long to find out the truth but my mind was so full of confusion."

Fargo raised his arms in a gesture of determination and purpose.

"Queen Serenity...I will now carry out your last wish! I will defend the honour of Princess Mercury with my dying breath!" Fargo roared with a voice of mighty thunder. "Mu...I'm going to finish you!"


	9. The Final Battle

Chapter Eight: The Final Battle 

"You did it!" Amy cried as her handcuffs gave a click.

Mina had been the twisting the hairpin in the cuffs for fifteen minutes and just as she'd been beginning to lose hope she'd done it.

The handcuffs popped open and fell away from Amy's wrists. The blue-haired girl stood and rubbed her wrists. "Remind me never to wear bracelets again!" she declared as Mina set herself to work on her own cuffs.

A short while later...

"This is the end, Mu!" Fargo cried, his heart soaring with a great fury but also a rush of exhilarating energy – this, ALL of this, suddenly felt so RIGHT.

Fargo felt sure that everything that had happened to him, all that he had been though, since he had arrived, uninvited at the fateful party at the Moon Kingdom had been meant to be; for the sake of an innocent, beautiful woman he had come all of this way to look evil in the eye and say, "Your day is done."

The red-haired youth knew in his heart that HERE was where he belonged at this present moment in time – in a way it had always been his destiny to battle Mu to the finish.

"You're right. This is the end of _your_ miserable life!" Mu's voice boomed as he raised his power and his eyes took on their golden glow. "Now die, Fargo!"

"Wait!" a voice cried.

Everyone looked at the other side of the balcony where Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus had appeared. After getting out of her handcuffs Mina had worked together with Amy and managed the smash out the door of their room. They had then found and searched Merula's room and found their Communicators and Transformation Pens in the drawer of a dresser. Wasting no time Amy and Mina had transformed and had gone straight there.

But something was strange – there was no doubt that the blue-haired girl WAS Sailor Mercury, she looked, sounded and FELT like her, but as she stared at her comrade Sailor Moon wasn't at all sure about what she was seeing...

Sailor Mercury stood beside Venus, her gloved hands clenched intensely down by her sides, trembling slightly – she was wearing what struck even Sailor Moon as a particularly gaudy and unsuitable dress.

It may have been her imagination but Mercury was sure that she could feel the fabric of the gown tightening around her body as if preparing to fight against letting her go...

"Mercury my dear! I see that you have made it here to watch your would-be husband die!" Mu sneered.

"You're wrong, Mu," Sailor Mercury replied quietly. "I have come to say farewell to you. I am free of the bonds that once tied me to you."

Now to anybody not involved in this confrontation it might have sounded like it was an easy thing for her to speak those words – but all of the time Mercury was holding onto her will, holding onto HERSELF as she felt HIS will gathering up and snaking out, invisibly, towards her...to snatch her very soul from her.

Fargo was watching her curiously. She seemed to be taking the fact that she was his bride very well. Too well in fact for it to be natural...

_I'll deal with it later_, he decided.

Mu's face contorted with fury.

"Come here." He whispered in a deceptively quiet voice – it had never occurred to him that the normally quiet and shy girl who he had so devilishly drawn into his web would be able to resist his will without help from her friends.

Mercury faced him quietly, her eyes of crystal blue shining with pride and defiance.

"Never, Mu." She whispered with steel in her voice.

Mu choked as his rage nearly drove him insane.

Fargo waited for the Emperor's anger to reach its maximum before he spoke.

Sailor V was grinning. _Atta girl!_ She thought.

Fargo spoke when he saw that the time was right.

"Princess Mercury is lost to you, Mu," He said in velvet tones. "She was never destined to be yours and will never be."

That was the stick that broke the camel's back - Mu's eyes filled with murder and hatred as he realised the truth in Fargo's words.

"You...you lowly scum..." the Emperor whispered in a low, choking voice. "You filthy wastrel..."

"Fargo is more than you will ever be." Mercury spoke loud and clearly. "I would far rather be his than yours."

_Hmm, would you?_ Fargo thought. He just couldn't silence the doubt in the back of his mind...

"Shut your mouth, wench!" Mu roared. "Or..."

"Don't threaten her, Mu," Fargo cut in. "The power is no longer yours."

"Treacherous wench!" snarled the former tyrant, beside himself with fury as he faced the prospect of losing the ultimate prize that he had spent so many centuries coveting and waiting to seize for himself - Sailor Mercury's hand in marriage. "That witch Serenity had no authority..."

"Oh but she DID have the right, Mu," Broke in Fargo with a serene smile - Mu was practically choking with rage and frustration as he realised that all of his scheming and anticipation of the arrival of this night had now all come to nothing, his plan to forcibly wed Mercury dashed by the actions of Queen Serenity, who had at the very end succeeded in defeating him. "You kept YOUR word by sending the girls to the future, Mercury kept HER word by agreeing to your bargain and I kept MY word to Queen Serenity by marrying Mercury FIRST so that your 'right' became as they say in a court of law 'null and void'. We're ALL men of our word...well 'cept for Mercury, who is, of course, a lady...and WHAT a lady at that."

Mercury felt a rosy blush filling her cheeks...not the same kind that she'd felt whenever under the covetous and desirous eyes of Emperor Mu.

Mu's eyes blazed at first Sailor Mercury and then Fargo in hatred. Then he transferred all of his attention to Fargo.

"Well, Fargo, do we fight over this lady's honour? I use the word 'lady' very loosely of course." He sneered, an antagonistic look suddenly on his brutish face as he longed to wreak vengeance upon the one who he saw as being the root cause of his downfall.

Fargo's eyes narrowed but he kept his cool - activating his levitation spell he rose into the air.

Mu used his mental power to follow him. Fargo and Mu stood in the air twenty feet above ground. Fargo dropped into his fighting stance as Mu began to power up...

Meanwhile, on the balcony, Sailor Universe had stepped directly in front of Sailor Mercury.

"At last! I can kill you at last!" Universe breathed in ecstasy.

Sailor Mercury faced her coolly.

"I don't think so." She snapped.

"You will," Universe sneered. "This time there's nothing holding me back!"

"You'll have your hands full!" Sailor V declared, joining Mercury. "This time you have _two_ of us to deal with!"

Mercury's eyes narrowed. "I can handle her on my own, Venus!" she snapped.

"You?" Universe laughed mockingly. "Handle _me_? You can't handle _anime_ on your own!"

"Keep pushing, Universe!" Mercury snapped, suddenly restless from all of Universe's taunting since the day they had met.

"Man! I'm sick of your little toughie act!"

Mercury's eyes narrowed into slits. She could feel the intense anger flaring up inside her long before it spilt out.

"_You're_ sick of _me_! You arrogant witch! You abduct, strip, tie-up and humiliate me all for your own selfish reasons and _you're_ sick of _me_!" she yelled. "Well _I'm_ sick of _you_ and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Raising her hand and pulling it back she punched Sailor Universe full in the face. Stunned, Universe sprawled on her back and was out cold on the floor.

Venus and the other girls' jaws all hit the floor.

Sailor Mercury dropped her fist again, breathing heavily. "So...there!" she gasped.

As Fargo moved quickly to avoid a blow from his enemy's gloved fist Mu grinned at him, hovering arrogantly in the air, ready to face him.

"What kind of man would fight for an empty-headed hussy, a social misfit, a brutish slut, an arrogant glory-hound and a fickle wench who cares nothing for him?" the former tyrant goaded.

Fargo fought back the tide of fury that these words ignited within his soul.

It was true that he had sacrificed his freedom for Amy who didn't love him but it didn't matter. He had not agreed to help Queen Serenity for love. Fargo had done it because he had seen no reason why Mercury hadn't deserved his help. Doing all he could for her was all he could ever have dreamed of.

"Sailor Moon is full of heart, Mars is proud and righteous, Jupiter defends those who need her help, Venus fights for justice, not glory and Mercury..." Fargo stopped as her name caused his voice to falter at the edge of his lips and he realised that he still wasn't ready to face his feelings about HER. "You tried to force Princess Mercury to love you," He went on. "She never loved you - she was _terrified_ of you. Who could blame her?"

Mu scowled darkly and tried to slam Fargo with a mental blast.

_Hmm...can't take what you dish out, eh?_ Fargo chuckled inwardly as he swerved out of the way. "Now what kind of a man would try to force himself on a beautiful lady?" he provoked out loud. "You know Mu, I don't think that you're a man at all!"

Mu snapped again and with a bellow of rage he assaulted Fargo with a second far more powerful mental blast. Fargo needed to be quicker to dodge this one but he managed it just in time.

_Whew! I'm actually fighting someone who can smack me around with his mind! Gotta be crafty or I'm finished... _

Slowly Fargo began to gather his power little by little...

"Oh, come _on_ Mu...that shot missed me by a _mile_! What _are_ you anyway...something vaguely resembling a man or an especially slimy slug?" he taunted.

Mu choked and hurled a third and vast mental blast that was so badly aimed that Fargo sidestepped it in the air with the greatest of ease.

"Y' know, it occurs to me that slugs don't have bones to break...that won't do at all! Okay, next guess – are you a biped humanoid male or a scummy plague-carrying rat?"

"Got it!" Venus cried as Rei's cuffs opened – the blonde Scout had been working diligently at freeing her friends and her task was now all but completed.

"Thanks!" Rei whipped out her Transformation Pen. "Mars Star Power! Make Up!"

"Hey how come YOU'RE so good at picking locks all of a sudden, anyway?" Serena exclaimed, still cuffed and waiting for her turn to be released.

Sailor Venus winked. "Well you've GOT to know these kinds of skills when you're a world-renowned crime-fighter, y'know." She grinned. "But seriously, it's just something I picked it up from a friend in England..."

Though she didn't say anything Serena realised who she meant – the young London Police Woman who had been like a sister to Mina but eventually had broken her heart.

"Your turn, Serena!" But as Venus turned to unlock Serena's handcuffs something whizzed down from the air and cut the chain in half! Startled, the girls looked at the floor.

A red rose.

"Sorry for being a little late. I just got back and got the scoop from Luna and Artemis." Tuxedo Mask apologised as Serena gave a squeal of delight.

Meanwhile Fargo grinned as he looked down at the new arrival. "Hu-ZZAH! Relief's arrived!"

Mu glanced down to where the Scouts were standing, a look of angry irritation on his face at this distraction...however the annoyance was then driven from his vindictive mind.

Mu's glaring eyes moved over the figures of Sailor Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Venus...and then as his gaze fell upon the bold and dashing face of Tuxedo Mask the golden-haired villain felt the world crumbling around him for the second time in such a short while. For a moment he forgot all about his now cold determination to wed Mercury and his current duel to the death - what he saw, the face that lay behind those silver sunglasses was enough to drive his attentions away from the lust and the schemes that had been all that he had focused upon for centuries and fill him a momentary blinding panic.

"Not him..." the former tyrant whispered as his once arrogant face drained, leaving him white-featured. "Not NOW..."

Mercury's eyes widened and her lips parted in shock as she gazed up at the horrified villain and realised the truth - it had just become all too clear to her what had bothered her earlier that night when Mu had revealed that he had once been the Emperor of Earth and now at last she realised just who else he was.

"Of course..." she whispered, breathless, to herself as her mind reeled at what it had just worked out. "Of course! Mu is..."

Mercury followed Mu's almost terrified gaze and arrived upon the face of Tuxedo Mask - and now that she knew what she was looking for her searching, intent eyes found it there as clear as the day. The face was gentler, not as sharp and not at all sly and cunning but the similarity of the two of them was...

Mercury's heart was pounding as she realised just what this all meant but she shook her head and the sense-shattering revelation to the back of her thoughts - she could think about it later - if she actually had a future.

Mu's jaw had hung open like that of an exhausted fox as his own mind had reeled - then Tuxedo Mask wryly remarked:

"Say, what are you staring at? You look like you've just seen a ghost!"

Mu's teeth clenched as he snapped.

"Damn you all to the fire of hell!" he roared as his hatred consumed him entirely and he dug his black-gloved hand deep into the pocket of his white trousers. "Each and every one of you...DIE!"

From his pocket he whipped a large bulging pouch that was tied closed by several pieces of knotted string - with a sudden icy feeling in the pit of his stomach Fargo felt sure that he knew what was inside.

"No!" the red-haired youth soared straight at the tyrant, desperate to prevent him from releasing the contents of the pouch...

However Mu was just one step ahead of him - his golden eyes blazed with fire and Fargo went spinning back the way he'd come as the strongest mental blast yet hit him head on and sent him crashing into a wall. As Fargo struggled to stay in the air Mu tugged wildly at the pouch with both hands and suddenly the material came apart with a loud tearing sound.

A shower of small glimmering black pearls rained down on the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask from above and as each of them hit the floor they shattered and from them a plume of evil dark smoke was released...

The girls and Tuxedo Mask had covered their heads with their arms but now, as literally thousands of pearls showered the foyer and broke, releasing clouds of vapour, they watched...they were suddenly no longer the only occupants of the foyer. Clutching his side and breathing in pain as he struggled to remain air-born Fargo stared down apprehensively - this was just what Mu had done in the Temple of Dark Moon and now he had used every last one of them...

As each wispy trail of darkness faded away every one of Mu's skeletal warriors were revealed, standing tall and extra disgusting in the well-lit hotel foyer - everybody could see their bleached bones and crumbled flesh but their sickened horror was quickly driven away by the sheer number of them.

Rows on rows now stood in front of the Scouts and many more pearls were falling, causing more and more of the skeletons to appear...suddenly realising something Tuxedo Mask glanced sharply around and his suspicion was confirmed as he saw more of the undead warriors materialising behind him.

They were surrounded by the skeleton warriors!

"Oh god!" shrieked Sailor Moon as she backed away and bumped into Tuxedo Mask, instinctively wrapping her arms around him before realising who he was.

"Sailor Scouts...you will all die at the hands of my entire resurrected Imperial Army!" snarled Emperor Mu. "The last remaining living reminders of Serenity's Kingdom will die...all of you!"

At the word 'die' the skeletons had all began to close in on the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask, chilling grins fixed eternally on their lifeless faces.

"Form a circle!" Sailor Moon ordered her fellow Scouts. "Don't let these things get close!"

Venus gazed frantically up at the balcony, where Sailor Mercury still stood, "Come on Mercury...we need your help!" she called desperately.

As Venus appealed to her, Mercury turned on her heel, determined to join her friends...only to find herself blocked and stranded by a row of the skeleton-warriors - evidently it would not do for the bride of Emperor Mu to be scratched up and perhaps even killed before the wedding...

"Sparkling Wide-Pressure!" Jupiter bellowed as she hurled her lightning-ball attack into the middle of the skeletons...only for it to fizzle away into nothingness the moment it touched the bare bones, leaving the skeletal frame untouched and totally unharmed. "Huh!"

"Jupiter - it's no good!" Mercury called down as she clutched the balcony-rail. "You can't hurt them because they're already dead! They have no nerves to feel the pain!"

"Oh great..." muttered Sailor Moon.

"You have to destroy them completely!" called Mercury. "That's the only way to stop them!"

The Scouts herded together below looked at each other and without a word between them they nodded - they knew what they had to do...

"Sailor Planet Power...ATTACK!"

The colossal attacked created when the Sailor Scouts combined their powers momentarily flooded the room with an intense light - the girls sent the incredibly powerful energy right into the midst of the horde of skeletons and were rewarded by a huge explosion, wiping most of their advancing enemy out instantly...however as the smoke died down they saw with chagrin that the majority of the undead warriors remained intact and still on the offensive.

"There's...there's just too many!" panted Venus, whose shoulders sagged with the exhaustion of the effort. "Without Mercury's energy we're just too weak to take them all..."

Mars looked upward as if to heaven.

"It all...rests on...Fargo now!" she murmured, half-despairing, half-praying.

"Damn..." muttered Jupiter, her eyes downcast.

"Die!"

Fargo pulled himself straight up into the air, sliding out of the path of the mental-blast only just in time. As a gaping hole appeared in the wall he spun around in the air like a cannon-ball and landed back in the position and stance that he'd occupied a second ago.

"Maybe some other time." He quipped as he prepared for the next assault...

Slowly his power was nearing its maximum. Just a few more minutes and...

Mu's eyes looked desperately around the lobby below. His gaze became fixed on Sailor Mercury who stood at the edge of the balcony looking down on the others. She had her back to him and had not noticed that he was looking at her.

Breaking off his psychic assault on Fargo Mu suddenly dropped straight down and landed on the balcony just behind Mercury.

"Look out!" Sailor Moon screamed.

Mercury whirled around and gasped as she saw him standing there.

"Won't you reconsider my proposal?" Mu asked with an unusual mildness in his voice – slowly and subtly he began to gather his telepathy, this time seeking to use it to gently persuade her rather than command her. "Think again and choose me over Fargo, Princess. After all you know that I'm the only one who can give you what you need."

From out of nowhere a golden circlet appeared in his gloved hands – Sailor Mercury's tiara clattered to the ground as the evil tyrant offered a beautiful crown for his bride to wear as she sat beside him for all of eternity.

"Never!" Mercury cried, her voice seeming to echo around the lobby – the sign of Mercury on her forehead BURST into light.

The hideous gown exploded around Sailor Mercury's body – and as shreds of silk and shards of jewel showered the balcony her Sailor Suit was revealed beneath, having been there the entire time...the fallen tiara leapt from the ground, circled its wearer like a discus and then returned to its place at her forehead.

As the crown that would have robbed Mercury of every vestige of her own free-will shattered in his hands Emperor Mu turned his face away in shock – however, a tiny shard of gold sliced into his cheek, leaving a long cut on his formerly unblemished face...however rather than blood a glaring golden light poured from the wound.

"Naïve fool!" Mu snarled, enraged once more – as he faced Sailor Mercury who had finally thrown off his remaining hold over her he covered his cut with his gloved hand and glowered. "What makes you think that Fargo will be any better than me?"

"Because he has to be," Mercury whispered. "He just _has_ to be." And turning around she flung herself over the edge of the balcony.

The other Scouts screamed and closed their eyes as Mercury fell.

"The little fool..." Mu muttered, shocked despite himself.

But suddenly Mercury felt something stop her in the air - Mu watched in amazement as Fargo rose into sight from below the balcony, carrying Sailor Mercury in his arms. Her arms were around his neck and Fargo stood in mid-air staring down at Mu.

"I really don't think that that's any way to talk about a Princess." He snapped – inside he grinned ecstatically as he thought about what he had FELT just now.

One of Fargo's innate abilities was the power to sense the soul-energies of those around him as well as to track them which was how he had located HER so many times over the last day and night – and when Sailor Mercury had resisted Mu just then HER spirit had soared, leaving him breath-taken by the sheer magnificence of her courage and true nobility.

As he held her in his arms however a slight frown crossed his face – there seemed to him to be something about Amy that was just...DIFFERENT from how it had been the last time they'd been face to face.

But WHAT...?

Swooping down to the ground Fargo deposited Sailor Mercury with the others who were out of their minds with relief and then returned to his confrontation with Mu.

Fargo pulled for his power. Most of it had got away when he had had to rescue Mercury but with a few more seconds...

"This the end for you, you gutter crawling dog!" Mu snarled.

Mu began to gather together all of his power at once for one killing blow.

Fargo pulled harder. _Come on!_

Mu laughed as he gathered the power for the blast.

_Come oooooon!_

Venus yowled in fright as a skeletal claw gripped her shoulder - the skeleton that had surprised her wrapped its fleshless limbs around her as it grinned without mirth.

Sailor Moon gritted her teeth - this was it!

"And now...I win." Mu laughed as he pointed at Fargo with enough power to kill him instantly.

"No, _I_ win!" Fargo screamed - he had finally reached enough power for his ultimate attack. "Light of Death!" he screamed, aiming his finger at Mu.

Fargo's fingertip crackled with energy - before Mu's shocked eyes Fargo's finger discharged a spiralling combination of three energy beams of immense power.

The beam hit Mu head on, punching a hole through his chest instantly. The light of the attack departed and Fargo dropped his power, gasping for breath...yet both sides of the tyrant's body now blazed with the golden light that now spilled out of him!

Mu stared blankly at the blazing hole in his chest, as if he could not believe his eyes – it is said that no man believeth in his own mortality.

Emperor Mu was no exception – as he gazed at his own ravaged chest, his eyes registered nothing but shocked surprise...as if the fatal injury were some unexpected problem that he had never dreamt of being troubled by.

With a gasping sigh, as his strength left him, Mu felt himself become light. Everyone stared breathlessly as a white glow of light surrounded the Emperor's body, engulfing him.

After all these centuries Emperor Mu was dying. And as the man who had ruled their fates during their lives and continued his domination over them after their deaths winced in his death-throes the millions of skeleton warriors below suddenly stopped their advance on the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask. Then to the amazement of the people who they had been about to kill they began to twitch...steadily the convulsions of the undead horde became more intense and violent and then all at once the girls realised that the spindly bodies of their foes were slowly coming apart!

Deprived of the source of their unnatural vitality each and every one of them was returning to the state that they had all been in before their 'revival'...death. An empty wail echoed through the foyer as their stagnant spirits departed from the world of the living, never to return again - in that exact moment they each exploded into dust which floated, stale and grainy to the ground.

Then there was an ear splitting crack of thunder and the light erupted into heat, which scorched the air.

When the heat had died down there was no sign of Mu. A silence descended on the room, other than Jupiter's shallow panting as she stood, her shoulders bobbing up and down and her heartbeat gradually slowly back to normal pace. She'd been punching skeletons left and right during the last stand and she had three crimson slashes across her cheek were one had got lucky and managed to rake her face before she'd nailed him.

Venus had fallen to her knees as soon as the skeleton that had grabbed her had disintegrated and now she gasped for the air she'd been deprived of while her lungs had been constricted.

The battle over, Sailor Moon turned her head to gaze at Tuxedo Mask for a long, single moment. Then wordlessly she flung herself into his arms and laying her head on his chest as he stroked her hair and held her to him she allowed herself to melt into the man she loved.

Standing apart from the others Sailor Mars tilted her head back to gaze upwards - she would never admit it to her friends but now that Emperor Mu was dead she felt a vague sense of loss. She knew that with him a living part of the history of their world, even though it had belonged to an age best forgotten, had now passed away forever.

"Mu...may you find redemption in the great hereafter." The raven-haired girl sighed beneath her breath as she shook her head tiredly.

Just as she was slipping away into sadness for the end of the long life of that poor misguided soul however Sailor Mars gave a shudder – she sensed another presence in the lobby.

Sailor Universe...? No...it didn't FEEL like her.

So then WHO...?

Whirling around on her heel she was just in time to catch the fleeting glimpse of a flash of black darting around the corner of the hotel doorway...and out of her sight.

"W-what?" Sailor Mars muttered, unsure of what she was fairly sure she had just seen.

"What's the matter?" Sailor Venus asked, her breathing back under control.

Mars stood, staring at the doorway for a while – she no longer felt that fleeting presence and though she was just TWITCHING to tell the others about it she kept quiet.

After all, what good would it do for her to worry them about something she wasn't totally sure she had seen? After all – hadn't they WON?

"...Nothing, nothing at all." The raven-haired Scout smiled as she turned and met the eyes of her friends. "Sorry about that – I guess I'm just feeling lethargic."

With a smug and triumphant smile on her face, Sailor Mercury reached down and picked up a pair of the Anti-Magic handcuffs that the Scouts had escaped from earlier than evening – turning, she headed upstairs with a steely glint in her eyes. After what she'd been through at the traitorous hands of Sailor Universe, she suddenly found the prospect of giving her enemy a taste of her own medicine very, VERY sweet indeed...however, as she arrived back on the balcony and stared at the spot where the purple-haired Scout had fallen mere minutes ago, she froze and her blue eyes widened with shock.

Sailor Universe was gone...

Her heart heavy and her limbs suddenly feeling exactly the same, Sailor Mercury returned to her friends...but her troubling news would have to wait.

For, as she glanced over Tuxedo Mask's shoulder, Sailor Moon's eyes happened to fall upon Sailor Mercury who stood quiet and pondering...and the leader of the Scouts gasped as if a lightning strike had hit her with a bolt of pure shock.

"M-MERCURY..." Sailor Moon gibbered, clutching Tuxedo Mask's shoulders tightly as she realised what she was seeing. "y-y-y-y-...YOUR HAIR!"

Sailor Mercury looked up, her face surprised as she wondered what was wrong – and as the others gazed at her each of them gasped just as Sailor Moon had done.

The Mercurian's normally short-cropped hair now cascaded around her shoulder and down her back, ending only beneath her skirt – her hair now gleamed and shone far more brightly than Sailor Mars's or even Sailor Venus's manes and was like a cloak weaved from the ocean itself.

The hair-growth elixir had done its job very well indeed – she had not felt her hair grow so drastically as she had sat in misery, loneliness and despair that night.

Fargo gazed spellbound at the bemused Sailor Mercury who was looking from face to face wondering why her friends were staring at her...she had no idea.

_She looks like...the Lady of the Lake_, he thought in wonder.

Fargo dropped back down to the floor and stood a short way off from the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask...for a moment he stood staring expressionlessly at up where the fallen tyrant had been moments ago, unable to believe that it was all over...then he turned to the others, grinning. "Topping night, huh?" Fargo said as a little of the familiar happy-go-lucky flippancy returned to his face. "Look on the bright side...I was fantastic and it was a bloody good laugh!"


	10. Tomorrow is Another Day

Epilogue: Tomorrow is Another Day 

"You're all back!" Luna screeched.

The Sailor Scouts had just staggered up the steps of the temple, followed closely by Fargo and Tuxedo Mask.

It was the crack of dawn and they were all dishevelled and fatigued by the night's action.

Luna and Artemis had waited up all night for the Scouts to return and they were relieved to see them safe and sound.

"Looks like it, doesn't it?" Sailor Mars replied cheerily, despite her roughed up condition.

"I _think_ we're back. Not sure though!" Sailor Jupiter added.

Luna had eyes for only one of them.

Sailor Mercury noticed Luna looking at her intently and lowered her gaze uncomfortably.

Luna's heart sank as she realised that Amy had not forgotten their row the night before. Not that she could blame her.

Artemis was also gazing at Amy – however his attention was more focused on her Mina-like hair. "Wow..." he gasped, almost falling over in shock. "A-A-Amy, your HAIR...!"

"It's so good to be home," Mars sighed. "There were a few times tonight when I thought I'd never see the temple again."

"For sure! We came close to being beaten! Too close!" Venus nodded.

"Tell us what happened." Artemis instructed her – he was gawping at Amy as if he couldn't believe it and that worked out quite nicely since he simply COULDN'T.

Sailor Moon cut in.

"Oooh, can't it wait 'til morning? I'm dead on my feet!" she wailed.

"It's morning now." Artemis pointed out.

"I mean morning at ten o'clock when I've had a long crash!"

Sailor V nudged her cat with the toe of her shoe.

"Let her have her way, Artemis. You know she'll be totally impossible if you don't." she whispered.

Artemis sighed and gave in.

"Do you have anything I can change into?" Mercury asked Mars, speaking for the first time since they'd gotten back.

Sailor Mars understood and nodded. "Go along the corridor and into the second door on the right. I left some spare clothes in there." She instructed.

"Thank you." Mercury nodded gratefully.

With that she turned and walked through the wooden doors that led into the temple followed by several curious gazes. As they looked at one another again though none of them noticed Luna run quickly after the Mercurian and through the doors just before they closed.

"Walk you home?" Tuxedo Mask offered Sailor Moon.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, muffin!"

Just then Artemis remembered the vision that everyone had seen last night - he looked at Fargo who was gazing after the departed Mercury wistfully.

While they had all been walking back from the hotel Fargo had come to a decision. He had decided that Amy was something fantastic. Something he could never have. Also she had been acting nervously around him since the hotel and although he knew that she liked and trusted him Fargo also knew that Amy just didn't love him like that. The one thing he never wanted to do was to force himself upon her against her will. There had been only one thing to do.

"Fargo, you lucky dog!" Artemis laughed. "You really fell on your feet when Queen Serenity chose you to be Princess Mercury's husband! You must feel like you've won the lottery!"

"No, I don't." Fargo muttered. Everyone stared at him, stunned.

"What!" Venus exclaimed.

"You heard what I said. I don't expect her to stay with me when she obviously doesn't want to. Simple as that."

"Whoah!" Jupiter grinned. "I don't believe it! You're a real gentleman!"

"Who cares what _you_ think?" Fargo snapped.

"Hey, I'm just saying that maybe I was wrong about you...that's all."

Looking from one to the other, Sailor Moon suddenly snickered.

"What's that meant to mean?" Fargo demanded.

"Oooh, nothing. Nothing at all." Sailor Moon replied airily as she left with Tuxedo Mask.

x x x x x

Sailor Mercury closed the door behind her. Believing herself to be alone she transformed back into Amy and her Sailor suit disappeared.

Now that she was all by herself for the first time in a while a grave frown crossed her reflective face as she remembered the startling truth that she had worked out the night before...the secret that she alone in the Sailor Scout team knew.

The brotherhood of Darien and the now dead Emperor Mu...

For a considerable while Amy stood still thinking about what the truth would mean to the group if she were to reveal it – what it might mean for Darien. As she debated with herself on what was best her eyes wavered between resolution and indecision more than a few times...then she shook her head as she decided what she would do about what she had learned.

Nothing at all.

It was the best decision that she could think of...one thing she did know was that Darien was definitely better for not knowing that his brother, his only remaining family, had been the cruellest and most heartless tyrant in the history of the Earth.

Amy had made up her mind...for the sake of Darien and Serena's happiness she would never speak of it. The truth would be hard for her to carry alone but she knew that she could do it...for the sake of her friends peace of mind.

Looking around the room she saw one of Rei's floor-length red frocks that she wore while sweeping away the dust on the temple porch lying on the floor.

"Amy?" Amy jumped. Luna was sitting on the floor looking up at her.

There was something in Luna's eyes that Amy had never seen there before in all the time she'd known her.

"Oh, hi Luna!" she stammered.

"I hope that you are alright after everything that happened." Luna said in a strangely humble voice.

"Oh I'm fine! Really, I am. Don't worry about me, Luna." Amy reassured the cat.

"I can't help it. But I'm glad that you are safe, Amy. I really am."

"Thanks." They both stood for a while in awkward silence.

"That's a new look for you, isn't it?" Luna teased her eventually.

Amy blushed slightly remembering the bikini and her drastically enhanced mane and giggled a little.

"Yes. It is really, isn't it?" she replied.

"Amy, there's something I have to say to you. Something very important."

"What is it?" Amy asked worriedly.

"Amy...last night I said some things that I didn't really mean. I was angry with you but that's no excuse. I had no right to say what I did. Amy, can you ever forgive me?"

Amy stared at her.

It was not in her heart to bear malice, bitterness or grudges against anyone, especially a friend. And after what she'd been through over the past few days Amy was happy to be free and just couldn't feel angry with anyone.

"Luna, it's alright." She whispered. "Really it is."

"Are you sure?"

"Like I said, it's in the past. Forget all about it." Amy stroked Luna behind the ears like she usually did to show her that there no hard feelings between them.

x x x x x

Mina stepped out from behind the tree, having just transformed back from Sailor V. As she began to make for her front gate she stopped and stared.

There was a moving van outside the house next to hers.

Someone was finally moving in next to her.

As Mina walked up to get a closer look a girl of about her own age climbed out of the van.

She looked around and smiled when she noticed her. She had long dark green hair which cascaded over her shoulders and down to her waist quite like Rei's. She was remarkably beautiful and had the most gorgeous blue eyes Mina had ever seen.

The girl looked into her eyes and something happened.

Something truly extraordinary.

As they gazed into each others eyes both Mina and the girl felt an inner flash as their eyes met like two pieces of a magical puzzle.

The girl's ice blue eyes were startled as she looked at the blonde girl in surprise. She had no idea what had just happened but one thing was clear to her at once:

It was right.

Mina cleared her throat.

"Hi! I'm Mina and I live next door." She greeted her new neighbour.

"Good morning! My name's Alexia." The girl replied. "Good to meet you, Mina!"

"Same here! Which school will you be going to?"

"I'm not really sure." She paused for a moment as a voice sounded from within her new home. "I have to go into the house now but I'll see you around, huh?"

"Yeah uh-huh!" Mina enthused. "I hope we'll be friends. See you around, Alexia!"

"Bye for now, Mina!"

Mina watched as Alexia opened the gate, went to the front door and into the house. She liked Alexia already and she just knew that they would be friends.

She didn't notice a small orange cat sitting on the roof of the van looking down at her.

As soon as she had seen Mina the kitten had realised who she was.

Princess Venus AKA Sailor Venus.

Then the other Scouts lived around this area and if they did then Luna and Artemis who would as well!

There was no way that Alexia wouldn't come into contact with them sooner or later.

Oh well.

The cat licked herself carefully. It would all come out in the wash. She'd reveal herself to the others and tell Alexia Risolto, or rather Sailor Charon, about her true destiny when the time came.

Satisfied with this, Estrella, the third adviser of Queen Serenity, jumped down onto the fence and began to preen herself.

x x x x x

"So, no sign of Fargo then?" Rei asked as she swept up the porch with a scraping broom.

"No." Amy replied. She was now wearing one of Rei's frocks and there was a troubled look of thought on her face.

Ever since she had found out that she was married to Fargo the previous night Amy had felt uncomfortable around him.

It wasn't that she didn't like Fargo. He was funny and deep down he was sincere and considerate. He had risked his life to protect her when he hadn't had to. Amy supposed that he was also kind of good looking in a ruffled, worse for wear kind of way. But she just didn't love him like that. And now she wondered what she was going to do now he and she knew the truth.

"What happened to Sailor Universe?" Artemis asked.

"Gone," Amy replied briefly. "She just vanished without a trace while we were watching the fight. We don't know where she went."

That was another worry. Sailor Universe was still out there somewhere. She knew that Amy was Sailor Mercury and could strike at any time. And now Mu wasn't around to keep her in check...

No sense worrying about it now.

Amy decided that she'd just have to wait and see how it turned out.

"Great! So we have a renegade Scout on the loose." Luna growled. "The most dangerous thing imaginable!"

They all fell silent as a shadow fell across the porch.

Amy looked up to see Fargo standing there in front of her.

"Fargo." Amy whispered so quietly he could hardly hear her.

"Amy...we need to talk." Fargo said simply. Amy nodded mutely.

Rei, Luna and Artemis watched as they walked away. They all knew what Fargo was going to tell Amy so they weren't worried at all.

"Are you okay?" Fargo asked her.

"I'm fine." Amy stammered.

There were butterflies in her stomach.

"Really?" Fargo raised an eyebrow and looked at her keenly. Amy went red to the tips of her ears.

"Yes. I'm alright." She struggled out.

"Glad to hear it. I've been thinking about a lot of things."

"Oh?" Amy's heart was beating three times its usual rate.

"Yep, a lot of things. You mostly."

There was a short pause.

"Yes?" Amy managed.

Fargo was gazing at her with an odd searching look on his face – then he smiled.

"Hmm...you look lovely with your hair like that!"

"OH!" Amy's hand flew to her head. "I-I'd forgotten it was like this..."

"The reason I wanted to talk to you..." Fargo went on and she looked at him again as she detected the return of his seriousness. "Was to say that I've come to release you from your ties to me."

Amy stared at him. She felt an immense tide of relief wash over her. Whatever she had been expecting it had not been this.

"But why? We're married..."

"Thanks. I'm not Mu!" Fargo retorted.

"I don't mean..."

"No don't worry about it. Listen, Amy, I only did it to save you from Mu. Now he's dead and my job's over. I've fulfilled my promise to Queen Serenity."

Fargo kneeled down before Amy formally. He had never done this before so it nearly didn't work.

"Princess Mercury," He announced as his eyes sparkled. "The marriage is over. I cannot take you any further. Consider yourself divorced."

"Thank you." Amy smiled and met his eyes for the first time.

Fargo's breath left him as he saw that same smile, the beautiful eyes and the rosy blush that had drawn him to her that night so very long ago on the Moon Kingdom. Then he shook himself, sternly telling himself that he couldn't afford to feel that way about her.

"There's no need at all for you to thank me," Fargo stood again. "I'm honoured to have been able to help you, Amy. For the first time in his life Fargo has done something and given something up for the sake of someone else."

"Will you be able to leave the planet now that we're not married?" Amy asked, remembering Queen Serenity's words.

"No. That's the one part of all of this that's forever. But even though I've lost the freedom of the stars I don't regret it. I never will. It's more than anyone like me could ever hope for."

"No., you're wrong," Amy cut in. "There's more in you than you know, Fargo. Don't put yourself down like that."

He looked long and hard at her...and then sighed, shaking his head ruefully. "_Fargo_..."

"Pardon?"

"Fargo..." he repeated. "You know I still feel short changed after all of this. You see I found out about my purpose but I never found out what my real name is. Neither Queen Serenity nor myself mentioned it in our vision."

"Is it really important?" Amy asked. "Is your name really important if you're already a good, sweet person?"

Fargo stared at her wide-eyed.

"What's wrong?"

"You know...that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!" he exclaimed.

"I think that someone had to say it. Whatever you call yourself, nothing can ever change who you are. That's all that's really important." Amy finished.

"Prin...Amy." Fargo corrected himself. "Thank you. For more than you can ever realise."

Amy just smiled and his insides felt funny. Not funny to laugh but an odd kind of funny.

"I have to be going now." Fargo said after a few moments had passed.

"Where will you go?"

"Not sure. Goodbye, Amy, be happy. And thank you again for everything."

Amy's face was concerned as he turned to leave. Already she was worrying about what would happen to him; how he would live and where he would go.

"Well...keep in touch, okay?" she said. "And if there's ever anything I can..."

"No." Fargo said abruptly. "You'll never see me again."

With that he walked down the steps and was gone.

After a long sad look in the direction he had departed in Amy turned and went back to the others.

Rei, Luna and Artemis watched as she arrived.

"Is he alright?" Rei asked concerned.

Amy nodded.

"Yes." She whispered. "He...he found what he was looking for. And so did I." Sighing, she shook head. "Rei, would you mind at all if I used your phone? It's just that I need to book an appointment with the hair-salon..." As the raven-haired girl looked at her in surprise and a little disappointment, Amy concluded, "It...just isn't me you know? I'd rather be myself than Mu's perfect woman..."

Rei stared at her and then grinned. "That's for the best." she replied sincerely.

_Some time later..._

Outside the Dead-Zone Vortex Fargo stopped.

A sparkling red Harley Davidson was parked just outside. A short way off a massive cue-ball like man who was obviously the owner of the bike drank like a fish.

Fargo instantly recognised him as the man who had humiliated him a few days before.

His eyes drifted back to the bike.

The keys were in the ignition.

Didn't the guy think anyone would dare to take it? Then again, who ever would?

A guy with a death wish, that was who.

With a grin bubbling up on his face Fargo jumped onto the bike.

The man turned as he heard the sound of an engine and stared at what he saw.

With a merry laugh and a cry of "EXCELSIOR!" Fargo blazed away down the road on the bike.

Not once was he tempted to look back.

So he naturally didn't see just what happened next - for a second that seemed like forever the cue-ball could only gawp, slack-jawed after the flash of red as it retreated into the distance – then his confusion seemed to activate the alpha-male chemical-reaction that resulted in extreme rage.

"I'll, I'll, I'll...KILL him!" he growled as he reached over and grabbed the nearest motorcycle within grabbing-range in order to give chase to the thief who'd strolled off with HIS bike.

"Hey!" exclaimed the real owner of the motorcycle hijacked by the cue-ball – a large man wearing a leather jacket. "Who the hell do you..."

The cue-ball paid no attention as he mounted the bike, kicked it into life and began to rumble up the road – his mind was totally bent on getting his hands around that kid's throat that he totally forgot for the moment that other people existed in the same world as him and the young thief.

He was so enraged that he didn't notice the slight 'thud' that gently rocked the motorbike as he rolled up the road – however the casual tap on his shoulder made his heart jump right up into his throat.

Merula, perched on the tips of her toes in a very precarious position on the back of the bike, smiled charmingly as she balanced her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around one of his brawny limbs.

"Yoo-hoo!" she purred at the thunderstruck cue-ball. "Say big-boy...I kinda need a ride outta this small-town berg...care to help me out here?"

As the smouldering eyes of his unexpected passenger made his fingers tremble on the handlebars the cue-ball noticed that she was wearing leather pants and a skimpy crop-top that bared most of her midriff, chest and also revealed that her belly-button was pierced by a silver ring.

"Heh...sure, babe." He stammered, a foolish grin slowly crossing his face.

The change in Merula's manner was electric – her eyes narrowed and her arms tightened around his.

"My hero." She smirked as she used her arm-lock to hurl him from the bike – as the cue-ball sprawled on the road and found himself gazing up at the posse of the legitimate owner of this bike the purple-haired girl slid herself down into the seat and took the handlebars into her own hands. "Hmm...a 'Harley', huh?"

Squinting ahead and catching a flash of red in the far-off distance the purple-haired girl smirked and turned right at the next junction – so that she headed down the opposite route to the one that Fargo had chosen to take.

As she headed straight out of Tokyo and the lives of the Sailor Scouts Merula felt a thrill of exhilaration as the wind blew her hair back of her shoulders – she could FEEL her time as it truly began and it felt GRAND. Still...she couldn't help but feel regret as she said her last goodbye to the life that she had decided to leave behind in Tokyo.

_Amy, my Mercurian beauty..._ Merula thought as she faded over the horizon._ ...will I ever forget?_

The End

**Author's Note: That's it, it's over! Or is it? Of course we havent seen the last of Fargo yet...ciao for now!**


End file.
